The YY OneShot Database
by Merodi no Yami
Summary: Who said there's no such thing as demons? Short two-parter fic written for Y-chan. A strange mix of humor, sarcasm, and superstition await you....
1. Exhaustion

Ok, all you Y/Y fans – this is basically going to end up being a database of one-shot fluffy fics, written by me, Merodi no Yami.  …ok, yeah, that's really all you need to know, right?  Stories will vary in style, depending on my mood, but will ALWAYS be Y/Y!  And fluff, with possible angst.  So, enjoy!!!

Disclaimer:  Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.  There, I said it, happy now?

//blah blah blah// - Yami talking

/blah blah blah/  - Yugi talking

[blah blah blah] – thinking

************************************

**Exhaustion**

"…and in order to complete this problem, we must first be able to take the derivative of the given function.  So, who here can tell us what the derivative of sin(3x)2 is?"

Sensei Tohma looked around the room as her students gazed back at her, eyes glazed over as their minds spun in confusion.  She sighed; it seemed to be like this every day.  Of course, there wasn't a whole lot that was going in her favor; not only was this her first year teaching, but spring had sprung quite early that year, and her room just happened to be situated so that, every day at this time, the room was filled to the brim with the light of the sun - making everyone, including herself, a bit drowsy and longing to go outdoors.  She finally decided to start calling on people, hoping that maybe she could revive the tired souls one by one.

"Yugi Muoto," she began, "would you happen to know what the derivative of this problem is?"

The said boy turned his head away from the cheerful sight outside to face his teacher, sighing slightly.  A few seconds passed as he studied the question before he replied, "Hai, Sensei.  The derivative of sin(3x)2 is 2sin(3x) times cos(3x) times 3.  Or, 6sin(3x) times cos(3x)."

Sensei Tohma's face brightened slightly, glad to know someone was able to pay attention.  "Very good, Muoto-san," she said, silently thanking him.  She turned back to the class and continued the lecture.

Noticing the teacher was starting to move to a new topic, Yugi took out a pad and pencil and began taking notes, though a bit unwillingly.  He loved math, and the calculus class he was taking now was fun (in his opinion), but today the teen was finding it hard to focus.  He had woken up with a headache that morning; that in combination with the amount of sleep he received the night before didn't help matters either.  He honestly had not expected to receive that many end-of-the-term projects, but what else could he do?  Well, maybe not take so many classes, for one - he was a sophomore, but Yugi was already taking one or two higher-level courses.  Joey had called him crazy for doing so, but Yugi had ignored him – he enjoyed the challenge.  He sighed and continued to copy the notes, grimacing as his headache from earlier decided to make itself known again.  

[Ok, maybe Joey's right.  Maybe I am crazy.]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yami turned from his spot on the windowsill in time to see Yugi walk through the front door.  Smiling slightly, the guardian got up and made his way over to his charge.  

"Hello Yugi.  Did things go well today at school?"

Yugi said nothing, but continued to hang up his coat before walking over to the kitchen table, opening up his backpack to sort through its contents.

//Yugi?  Something wrong?//

Suddenly, Yugi whirled around to face Yami, taken by surprise.

/Yami!  Oh, sorry, I must not have heard you.  What's up?/

//I asked how school went for you.//

/Oh, it was alright, / he replied absent-mindedly as he began to put his books into two piles – one for homework and one for school.  /Lessee – Ryou seems to be his usual quiet self, though he told me that yesterday Bakura went out and actually bought him a kitten for his birthday on Sunday…he says thanks for the gifts we got him, by the way.  Anzu was gone today – she had a dance audition in Tokyo this morning; she said she'd call and let us know how she did.  Oh, and Joey and Tristan say hi – Gym was a nightmare.  Soccer - and with Kaiba on one team and those two on the other, well, you can imagine how quickly it turned into an all-out fist fight./

//Yugi…//

/Hmm?/

//What about **you**?// the pharaoh asked again, looking slightly worried at the rings around Yugi's eyes.  //Are you ok?//

/Huh?  Oh, yeah.  I'm fine Yami, really./

Yugi smiled and went back to his books, but Yami continued to watch his charge anxiously.  Having finally sorted everything out, he placed two thin binders back in his backpack for school the next day before grabbing the much larger pile of homework and textbooks.  Slowly but surely he made his way over to the stairs.

"Yugi, what are you doing?"

He turned around to face Yami.  "Homework," he shrugged.  But before he could take another step, Yami moved to step in front of him, upset.  Yugi looked at him in confusion.  "What?  What's wrong?  Did I forget something, Yami?"

"No, you didn't.  But Yugi, is all that homework really necessary?  You look tired."

"It's ok."

"Yugi, you got 3 hours of sleep last night.  And the night before.  And the night before that, in fact.  You need to take a break, aibou, or you're going to wear yourself thin."

"But if I take a break now, then it only means I'm going to have to stay up later to finish all my homework, Yami – then I'll be getting even less sleep.  Don't worry, the weekend's almost here, I can relax then."  He smiled at his guardian to reassure him, but it did nothing of the sort as Yami's brow furrowed slightly.

"That's what you told me last week, hikari, but you did nothing of the sort.  You spent the entire time working on your biology project."

"Not the whole time."

"Sleeping, breakfast, and dinner don't count in that equation, Yugi."

Yugi sighed.  "Yami, I'm ok.  Really," he said as he walked around Yami to proceed up the stairs.  Yami watched him go before sighing as well, heading towards the kitchen to make something for dinner.

[Yugi, I hope you're right.]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

//Yugi?  Dinner's ready.//

/Coming./

Sure enough, as Yami finished setting the table Yugi entered the kitchen.  He smiled, but he looked, if at all possible, even worse off than he had earlier.  Yami's heart tugged as he scanned Yugi's thin form – the bags under his eyes had been there since last week, and his hair seemed to droop sadly.  [Hikari, you're nuts.  There's no way that you can be feeling well right now.  You look like you've been through the Underworld and back one too many times.]  Yami resolved to himself to talk with Yugi after dinner about taking a break.

He continued to watch as his aibou walked through the room towards the table, before turning around to get their food from the counter.  As soon as he had picked up one particularly large bowl, Yami heard a thunderous crash.  Food forgotten, Yami raced to the dinette area.  "Yugi?!  Are you alright??"

He turned around the corner and stopped.  Yugi lay on the floor in front of him, unconscious.  Apparently the teen had tried to stop himself from falling, and had managed to drag the tablecloth – and everything on it – down with him when he fainted…hence the crash.  Yami kicked a plate carelessly out of the way as he quickly made his way over to his charge, his heart beating fast with worry and concern for the prone figure on the floor.

Kneeling at his side, Yami took one of Yugi's hands in his own, almost flinching at the cold, clammy touch.  He brought his other hand to Yugi's forehead, and was shocked by the temperature difference.  He mentally cursed – he should have seen this coming.  [Oh Yugi.]

Quietly and gently he gathered his charge in his arms, as if handling a child.  He got up, and for a minute Yami simply stood there, staring at the prone form.  Despite that he was quite sick, he was still undeniably beautiful.  Yami blushed a bit at the thought, dreams and hopes he had been repressing suddenly resurfaced.  Shaking his head, he slowly laid the figure down on the couch before leaving the room for some medicine.

Upon return he found Yugi where he had left him, shivering, but still unconscious.  [Kisama,] he thought, cursing himself as he got a blanket out from a nearby closet, placing it on top of his aibou.  Sticking a pillow underneath Yugi's head, Yami kneeled on the floor next to him.  [You should have forced him to rest, no matter what he said – if you had, he wouldn't be like this now.]  Noticing Yugi's face was covered with sweat, Yami took a cold, wet washcloth he had retrieved earlier and placed it on his forehead, hoping to cool his poor hikari down.

[Hikari.  My hikari.  The light to the darkness,] he thought as he absent-mindedly kissed the teen's petal-soft hair.  Almost immediately Yugi stopped his fitful shivering, calming down considerably from the guardian's touch.  Yami smiled, pushing a bang out of the teen's pale face.

As if that act had suddenly broken some magic spell, Yugi's eyes fluttered open; amethyst stared into crimson as Yugi fully woke.  "Y-yami?" he groaned.  Yami silenced him quietly, guessing what his questions would be.

"You fainted, Yugi.  You pushed yourself too hard, and now you're sick.  Now rest, and don't worry about anything – I'll take care of you."  

Yugi ignored the warning and started to get up, but was pushed back down just as quickly.  "But Yami," he said tiredly, "I need to finish my homework for school tomorrow."

"SCHOOL?  Yugi, you are **not** going to school tomorrow, do you hear me?  You're sick enough as it is; you need to rest – you've been dealing with too much stress lately, with school and everything else, and there is no way I'm even letting you off this couch until I know that you're feeling better."

Yugi sighed.  "Ok," he said weakly.  "But you don't really have to go to any trouble taking care of me; I'm fine just like this."

"Don't be ridiculous, aibou," Yami replied, suddenly finding his own hands quite interesting.  "You're my charge, and I care about you too much to just leave you alone."  

"How much, Yami?"

The said person looked up, confused.  "What?"

"How much do you care about me?"  

Yami stared into Yugi's inquisitive eyes, dumbfounded.  [He-he wants me to really tell him, truthfully and honestly?  Oh dear Ra, I can't do this.  Heck, I'd probably end up giving him a heart attack and kill him.  Yeah, that'd be smart.]

[But then again….]  Yami continued to stare into those amethyst orbs, eyes that were full of love and concern.  [Maybe…maybe I'm wrong.]

Slowly he took Yugi's hand and placed it between his own, as if protecting it.  He took a deep breath.  "Yugi, I really don't know of any other way to put this…and I want to apologize ahead of time if what I say upsets you at all…but…Yugi....

"Yugi, I love you.  Honestly and deeply; you are my aibou, my light, my other half.  Even if our souls weren't intertwined, I could not live without you.  You give me courage, strength, and a hope which, until I met you, was completely foreign to me.  I call you aibou, but sometimes I wish that we could be much deeper partners, more than just friends.  Some people may see it to be wrong and unusual, by I love you with all my heart – I just hope you'll accept it." 

There.  Done.  He had said it.  All those words which he had rehearsed time and time again in his head, should he ever decide to confront Yugi about his feelings.  But Yami had never actually expected to say these things out loud to him.  He sighed; what was done was done, and though he could take back the words, he could never take back his feelings for his hikari.  He hung his head, as if awaiting execution.

Slowly, a delicate hand extended from underneath the blanket as Yugi reached to tilt Yami's head up.  He did so, but the guardian refused to open his eyes – he was certain now that Yugi hated him, and he feared his soul would shatter if he saw the hate and disgust in his hikari's beautiful eyes.  The hand withdrew from his chin, and Yami braced himself, waiting to be slapped, or punched, or something.

Nothing came.  Suddenly, he felt two hands clasp themselves together behind his neck, as something shifted on the couch.  Yami's eyes snapped open as he felt the sudden weight change.  He looked down, and gasped.

Yugi…Yugi was…cuddling??

[Could this mean-?]

Yugi looked up, eyes shimmering with a happiness Yami had never seen before.  "Yami," he said weakly, "you took the words right out of my mouth.  Aishiteru – gomen ne that I never told you.  I love you a thousand times over."  He tightened his hold on Yami, trying to bring himself closer to his dark, warm presence.  "Aishiteru, Yami-chan."

"Yugi," he breathed.  This was a miracle.  He couldn't believe any of his senses.  Yami wrapped his arms around his tenchi possessively, never wanting the two of them to be apart from each other again.  He leaned over slightly, without fear, to kiss his aibou's head gently; however, Yugi pulled away as soon as he made contact.  

"Wha?  Yugi, what's wrong?"

Yugi let out a weak laugh.  "Sorry Yami – it's not that I wouldn't like that, but I don't want you getting my cold."

Yami chuckled lightly at Yugi's reasoning.  "Do you really think I care?" he said, releasing one of his hands to tilt Yugi's face up to meet his own.  He could feel Yugi shiver, sending chills up his own spine as well.  Grinning in a dominant way, Yami lowered his head to capture Yugi's sweet lips in his own.

Yami had sometimes dreamt of what this would be like, but none of his dreams could ever come close.  It was beautiful; HE was beautiful.  Yami savored their kiss as much as he could – the taste of vanilla, the smell of lilies; Yugi was everything that was pure and good.  And he was Yami's; all his.  In an instant, he could feel his soul melding with Yugi's in a way he never thought possible, wonderful and beautiful all at once.  Finally their lips separated as Yami placed his head on top of Yugi's, never again to let go of the treasure Ra had granted him.

//I love you Yugi.//

/And I love you, Yami./

************************************


	2. One Summer Day

Disclaimer:  Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, and the tuna idea is taken from Stargate SG-1.  Don't sue!!  I'm an endangered species!!  (O_o???)

(Yes, I know this story is oh-so-corny…*sigh*…This is all dialogue and one-word descriptors, by the way….  –MnY)

***************************************

**One Summer Day**

****

Run.

Chase.

"Oof!"

"Gotcha, Aibou!"

Chuckle.  "You don't play fair, Yami."

"What do you mean?  I'm just taking full advantage of my abilities, that's all."

"Well, I don't think that using our mind-link is a fair advantage when playing tag."

"Oh?"

"Neither is stopping me in mid-air with magic."

"…."

"Yami?"

"I still won."

Sigh.  "Yes, yes you did.  Now are you going to get off me?"

"…maybe."

"Well, why don't you-hey!  Leggo!  Yami!"

"…."

"Yami, get back here and untie me!"

"…."

Sigh.

"…hey aibou."

Blink.  "You tied me to the table just so you could go get yourself a tuna sandwich?"

"No."

"…."

"So I could get a sandwich and watch you try to get out."

"Baka."

"Ready for your torture?"

"Huh?"

"I asked if you're ready.  See, back in my day we had a certain form of torture that we found to be very…persuasive."

"Yami…I don't like that look in your eye."

"Prepare yourself, Yugi."

Gulp.

"This…is the infamous…tuna torture."

Blink.

Bite. "Mmmm…tuuuunnnnaaa…"

"…."

Smile.

"My yami has completely gone insane."

Blink.

Pout.  "Ya-miiiiii…."

"…no."

Sniffle.  "Yaaaamiiii…."

"No, ra-dammit."

"Yami, look at me!"

"NO!  You're doing that…cute thing.  Stop it right now."

"Please untie me."

"No. You're staying there until you stop that."

"Please?"

"N-n-no."

"….pweese?"

"…."

"Yami-chaaaan…."

"…fine."

"…."

"There.  You're untied.  You ruin all my fun, you know?"

"…Yami?"

"Yes?"

"Could you please stop sitting on me so I can get up?"

"No.  I'm quite comfortable, thank you."

Sigh.  
  


"Yes, this shall make a nice throne for your pharaoh."

"And that would be…who, exactly?"

Glare.

Smile.

Sigh.  "Why can't I stay mad at you, hikari?"

"I'm just that good."

Laugh.  "I bet."

"So, what do you want to do today?"

"Hadn't thought about it, aibou.  Any ideas?"

"Well, we could always go to the park.  Or to the movies.  Or play a game or 10 of duel monsters at the café.  What do you think?"

"…."

"Yami…?"

"…."

"Yami…hey!  Earth to Yami!  Are you in there?"

Stare.  "…."

"Yami?"

"…Aibou."

"…?"

"…Yugi."

"…y-yes?"

"I think…."

"…?"

"I think I'm in love with you."

"…."

"Yugi?"

"…."

"Please say something."

Peck.

Stare.  "…."

Smile.  "Is that answer enough, Yami?"

Grin.  "No…."

"…."

Kiss.

"…."

"There, that's better."

"…wow."

Smirk.  "I could say the same thing, aibou."

Blush.

"Yugi…"

"Hmm?"

"Are you sure?"

"Sure?  Sure of what?"

"Sure that it's…I mean, that I'm…you're…uh…I-"

"I want to be with you forever."

"Why?"

"'Cause I can't – won't – live without you."

"…."

"Yami."

Stare.  "…."

"Yami?"

"Aibou…I no longer think I'm in love with you…."

"W-what?"

"…I **_KNOW _**I'm in love with you.  And I always will."

"Yami…."

Kiss.

Embrace.

Kiss.

Love.

"…."

"…."

"Yami?"

Snuggle.  "Hn?"

"…I guess this means you don't feel like going to the movies today?"

"Urk!  Yugi!  W-woa-ah!"

Push.

Thud.

"Haha!  Catch me if you can!"

"Hikari!!!  Get back here!!"

********************************


	3. The Best Things Come in Small Packages

Disclaimer: The day that I own Yu-Gi-Oh! will be the day that Monica Lewinski is portrayed as a "chaise, pure, and innocent damsel".

BTW --- Almost all the Y/Y fics out there portray Yugi as the uke, so I decided, "#$%@ society, I'm going to change this."  ^_^  (Heheh – sorry, my bad language.)  Yes, Yami and Yugi are both OOC a bit.  Yes, just a little…little bit.   Hope you enjoy!!  --MnY

//blah blah blah// - Yami talking

/blah blah blah/ - Yugi talking

[blah blah blah] – thinking

************************************************************************

**The Best Things Come in Small Packages**

****

****

"Aibou?  Aibou, where are you?"

"In here, Yami."

Turning the corner, Yami walked into the kitchen as he was retrieving various things from the refrigerator.  Hands in his pockets, the teen watched his slightly-shorter counterpart for a while, before finally asking the inevitable question.

"Hikari – whatcha doin'?"

Sticking his head out of the fridge, he removed the last of the contents and moved to place them on the counter, closing the door with a foot.  "Just making something.  Why?"

"Oh, no reason.  Just wondering," Yami replied as he stared mystified around the kitchen.  Yamis were not let near kitchens unless supervised, so the past-pharaoh took his time looking around when suddenly Yugi stuck a knife in front of him.

"Ne, Yami, can you hold onto this for me for a second?" he asked as he continued exploring a cupboard for something.

"Sure aibou, not a problem."  Yami took the small blade from Yugi, examining it with a finger before letting out a small yelp.

"Now Yami, I need you to-Yami, did you just cut yourself?" Yugi asked, a little exasperated.  Well come on now – he knew it was sharp!

Yami shook his head furiously as he sucked on the side of his finger.  "Nnn nn," he mumbled as he shied away from his hikari.

Sighing, Yugi promptly took the knife away from his yami as he reached for a first aid kit.  After putting antiseptic and a band-aid over the 'mortal wound', he kissed it lightly.  "There, all better Yami.  Now, would you mind going into the living room for a few minutes and just wait there until I call you?"

Staring, Yami nodded dumbly, his cheeks going red.  Yugi smiled at the reaction, giving him a wink before ushering him out of the kitchen.  Having done that, the amethyst-eyed teen turned back to his work.  [I can't have him hanging around here – not if I want to get this surprise together for him,] he thought as he began setting the table.

Yami sat on the couch with his legs crossed, staring at the wall intently as he waited for Yugi.  The former pharaoh shifted nervously as the blush continued to stay on his cheeks.  He loved the teen with all his heart and soul, but dare he tell him?  What if Yugi rejected him?  Was Yugi even gay?  Hundreds of questions bounced here and there inside Yami's head, but any attempt to answer even one would only result in more confusion.  Yami sighed, tilting back to look at the ceiling.  [No, best not to tell him anything – how could he love someone as dark and secret as I am?]  He spent the next passing moments in silence, save the occasional noise from the kitchen, as he fantasized about his sweet, understanding, loving aibou.

In fact, Yami became so absorbed in his obsession over Yugi that he failed to notice someone stepping towards him from behind.  Suddenly, his eyes were completely covered in darkness.

"Wha?  W-w-woah, what's going on?" he asked nervously.

He heard a small laugh from behind him, sending shivers down his back.  "Ne, Yami, it's just me."

"Yugi," he stated as he reached up to touch what was covering his eyes.  Feeling the cool fabric, he asked, "Ne, why are you blindfolding me, aibou?"

"I have a surprise for you, that's all.  Here, give me your hand," Yugi said calmly.  Yami complied, and soon Yugi was leading him away from the couch, the pharaoh's hand gripped firmly in his.

//Yugi, where are we going?//

/You'll see./

//That's an incredibly vague answer, aibou.//

/But if I told you it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it?/

Yami mentally rolled his eyes.  //Yugi, the last time you said that to me, you set me up with Anzu.  Really, Hikari, that was NOT a pleasant experience – I hope you're not planning something similar.//

Yugi smiled as he led Yami through the house.  /Nope.  Sorry Yami – I just had to do that so you knew what you were missing./

['What I was missing'?  What's that supposed to mean?] Yami thought.  [What, so I knew what I'd be missing without her around?  Or maybe….]

Yami's thoughts were interrupted as the two suddenly stopped.  Carefully, Yugi led Yami around to sit in a chair before retreating behind him to undo the blindfold.  

"Ok, you can open your eyes now, Yami – but you can't turn around."

The pharaoh complied.  Eyes fluttered open, and a gasp could be heard escaping Yami's lips.  All the lights had been turned out, and instead lit candles had been placed around the room.  The furnishings were all Egyptian style, and a meal fit for the gods graced the table in front of him.  

"Th-this is…for me?" he asked, uncertain.

"Yes Yami – do you like it?"

Yami simply nodded, his eyes wide as he took everything in.

"But Yugi – why?"

"Well, why not?" came the reply, a little hurt.  Realizing this, Yami went to turn around to apologize, but two hands kept his head in place.  "Ne, Yami.  You promised."

"I'm sorry, aibou.  I didn't mean to upset you."

Yugi smiled, retracting his hands to tangle them in Yami's hair.  "Yami, you could never upset me."

Yami felt like replying, but Yugi's strokes had put him into a daze.  He sighed as Yugi began to massage his head, the headache he had been plagued with for the past few days slowly disappearing.  Yugi continued for a while in silence, enjoying being this close to Yami.  When he felt the time was right, he stopped and stepped back.

Yami, sensing something wrong, was about to ask when suddenly Yugi walked into his view.  Time seemed to stop as Yami gazed on his hikari in awe.

His aibou stood there, looking very…seductive.  No longer wearing his school uniform, Yugi had donned a pair of tight, black leather pants and a blood-red sleeveless shirt.  Black boots, a studded bracelet, and a chain hanging around his waist completed the look.  The traditional neck buckle was also there, along with the Millennium Puzzle which hung about his neck.  His hair seemed a little more wild than usual, and his entire form flickered with a warm, red-orange glow as the light of the candles illuminated him.

Yami was completely speechless, and even more so when Yugi stepped forward, suddenly kneeling in Yami's lap and placing his lithe yet strong arms around the former pharaoh's head, looking down into his crimson eyes.  Yami gulped; he just could NOT think anymore – his emotions sent him into inner turmoil as he simply stared back, his heart racing.

//Yugi….//

/Yami…/ Yugi began as he touched his forehead to his other's.  /There is only one way I can say this, honestly and truly.  I love you.  I want you with me, to be together forever.  I understand if you don't feel the same way, but please, let me have this one moment…./  With that, Yugi brought his head down and deeply kissed his counterpart. 

Yami's reaction was one of euphoria as he realized what was happening.  Suddenly his head cleared, and he readily returned the kiss with a fiery passion that would not be smothered.  Minutes passed, and soon the two were forced to separate, though only slightly, in order to breathe properly.  Yugi looked down again and smiled, the obvious happiness on Yami's face warming his heart and soul.

Slowly, as if not daring any of it to be real, Yami wrapped his arms around Yugi and snuggled up to him, inhaling his scent.  "Yugi…I am so blessed to have you as a hikari.  I love you; I have always loved you, but the thought that you might turn me away was so overwhelming…."  He trailed off, feeling a tear or two escape his eyes and run down his cheek.  Slowly, gently, Yugi tilted Yami's head up, wiping them away as he looked into his eyes with unconditional love.  Smiling, Yami reached his hands up toward Yugi's shoulders and pulled him down for another kiss, both light and dark enveloping them as their souls melted into one.

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	4. In Love's Own Way

Just a quick note – sorry this took so long to get up.  For this story I decided I wanted to do some research relating to love relationships in Ancient Egypt.  So I guess you could label this as realistic fiction, I dunno.  Again, sorry for the wait; hope you enjoy!  --MnY

Disclaimer: I do not own YGO.  All the information concerning Ancient Egypt in this story has been researched and is true as far as public knowledge extends; sources are listed at the bottom of this page.  Rated PG-13 for all those who haven't taken Health Class in school (which, dear Ra, I hope you have by now if you're reading Yaoi).  ^_^

This story dedicated to Wolfspeaker.

//blah blah blah// - Yami talking

/blah blah blah/ - Yugi talking

[blah blah blah] – thinking

************************************************************************

**In Love's Own Way**

_If the wind comes, it blows_

_toward__ the sycamore tree._

_If you come, you blow_

_on the wind toward me._

            --Ancient Egyptian love poem

Yugi opened his bleary eyes as the sun's first rays shined through his bedroom skylight.  Stretching, the figure climbed out of bed to look out the window, squinting as he adjusted to the brightness.  Everything and everyone was bright and cheerful, as the cherry blossoms had decided to bloom only two days ago.  Yugi smiled as he gazed on the tree that sat outside his window – it looked like a fairytale.  [It's so beautiful outside - too bad we have to go to school today, and can't enjoy all this.]  He sighed as he turned from the breathtaking scene, fetching his school uniform and getting his things in order.  With the blooming of the cherry blossoms usually meant the beginning of a new school year as well – this was his second week as an 11th year student at Domino High.  Once dressed and ready, Yugi took one more look outside, smiling sadly.  [Of course, it would be even nicer to be able to spend such a special time with someone.]  He shook his head as his thoughts turned to Yami.  He loved him for sure, but did his protector feel the same way?  Pushing the depressing feelings from his mind, Yugi pasted a smile to his face and made his way downstairs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ohayo, Grandpa!  Have you seen Yami around?" he asked as he passed the old man, who was sitting on the couch, reading the newspaper.

"Well hello, Yugi!  Not to worry, Yami's in the kitchen this morning," he said as he looked up at his grandson, gesturing towards the said room.

Yugi smiled and nodded his head, proceeding into the kitchen for some breakfast.  Yami was standing there presently, peeling potatoes for supper.  Yugi's smile turned into a grin as he watched his yami.  "Whoa, Grandpa's got you working already?" he said teasingly to his guardian, who simply narrowed his eyes and muttered something along the line of "slave labor".  Yugi chuckled at his yami's stubbornness in the morning.  He was about to get something out to eat when Yami turned to stop him.  

"Ne, Yugi," he started, taping a finger on his aibou's shoulder as the other whirled around.  "I already made you breakfast, aibou.  It's sitting on the table."

"Really?  Wow, thanks Yami!" Yugi raced to the table before his protector could see the blush that had started to creep across his face.  Smiling, he sat down to eat before noting something out of the ordinary.

"Say, Yami?"

"Hmm?"

"Uh, I hate to sound stupid-"

"Aibou, nothing you say is ever stupid.  What is it?"

Another blush.  "…well, I was wondering what this flower is that you have set in the middle of the table.  It's been sitting here for a few days; what is it?"

Yami stopped peeling the vegetables suddenly, letting out a sigh before turning to meet Yugi's inquisitive eyes.  He smiled sadly.

"It's a lotus flower, Yugi.  It…it's a flower native to my own time."

"Oh.  Ok, I understand!"

Yami did his best to tear his eyes away from his beautiful hikari to focus on the flower sitting nearby.  It's amethyst petals reflected Yugi's eyes perfectly; the yellow center like his golden bangs.  Yami felt his heart drop a little at his aibou's words, so naïve.  [No Yugi, you don't understand.  You don't understand at all.]

Caught up in his own thoughts, Yami was suddenly snapped back to reality as he realized Yugi was waving his hand in front of his face.  "Ne, Yami, you in there?"

Shaking his head a little, Yami returned his attention to his charge.  "Sorry Yugi.  I was thinking."

"About?"

"Something…and someone."

"Wow, must have really been SOME person, huh?" Yugi replied weakly, trying his best not to let his insecurity show.

"Yes."

There was a slight pause in the conversation, neither of the two teens wanting to leave, nor brave enough to break the silence.  Before the situation could turn awkward, however, Yugi's ears perked as the clock chimed, signaling that he was late for class.

"Oh!  Gomen ne, I've got to go.  See you later, Grandpa!  Bye Yami!"

"Hey, Yugi, wait."

"Huh?"  Just as Yugi was about to step out the door, he turned to intercept a piece of flying fruit.  He looked it over – he had never seen an apple this strange looking before.  

"Nande?"

The sad smile returned as Yami explained.  "It's a mandrake fruit.  Again, something from my time.  …Just in case you get hungry during the day, perhaps."

"Sugoi!  Thanks, Yami!"

Yami continued to stare out the open doorway which Yugi had left wide open, watching the retreating form of his aibou as he raced to school.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Take dandruff from the scalp of a dead person, who was murdered, and seven grains of barley, buried in the grave of a dead man, and crush it with 10 _oipe_ of apple pips.  Add the blood of a tick from a black dog, a drop of blood from the ring finger of your left hand and your semen.  Crush it to a compact mass, place it in a cup of wine and add 3 _outeh mut_ which you have not yet tasted and which has not yet been used for offering.  Recite the said formula over it seven times and let your beloved drink it.  Tie the skin of the tick in a piece of linen and tie it in a knot around your left arm.

[…OK, I realize things were a little different back then, but that is downright disgusting!  There's no way I could make my Aibou drink that!  What in Ra's name were we thinking?]  Yami sighed, closing the book and laying it aside as he leaned back in his chair, his hands placed behind his head.

[Oh well.  That's that.  Besides, I wouldn't want to receive Yugi's love with him under the influence of some potion.  It would have to be from the bottom of his heart, or not at all.  Though, the latter is more likely,] he thought gloomily.  Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out what looked like a small, carved stone.  Taking the amulet between both his hands, Yami leaned forward as he began reciting the prayer he had learned so many years ago.

"**Celtatalbabal.  Karashneife.  Nnas'knekie**, by the power of Yao Sabaoth, **Rous rous rous rous rous rous rous.**

I adjure you by your powers and your amulets and  
places where you dwell and your names, that just as I take you   
and put you at the door and the pathway of Yugi, grandson of Solomon,  
you must take his heart and his mind; you must dominate   
his entire body.

When he tries to stand, you must not allow him to stand.  
When he tries to sit, you must not allow him to sit.  
When he lies down to sleep, you must not allow him to sleep. 

He must seek me from town to town, from city to city,  
from field to field, from region to region,  
until he comes to me and subjects himself under my feet-  
me, Yami son of Ra-  
while his hand is full of all goodness,  
until I satisfy with him the desire of my heart  
and the demand of my soul,  
with pleasant desire and love unending,  
right now, right now, at once! Do my work."

Yami opened his eyes, looking upwards.  [Though this love may not always have been accepted in my time, please, Hathor, show me your kindness.]

Somewhere, a figure smiled from above the clouds.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Aw man!  We just got here, an' there already makin' us do all dis research!  We should be doin' this later in tha year; right, Yug?"

Yugi smiled as he looked up at his blonde friend.  "Come on, Jounouchi.  It could be interesting!  Don't you want to learn?"

Jou waved a hand dismissively.  "Yeah, I guess.  Heh!  Who needs ta learn?  I, Jounouchi Katsuya, know all!"  The tall teen laughed as he struck an overdramatic pose, causing Yugi and several others to sweat drop nervously.  [Well, at least Kaiba isn't here – who knows what could happen,] Yugi reflected.  Ignoring Jou's upset, the shorter teen walked over to a bookcase, looking for some materials to help him with his project.

"Hmm…looking for something on Rome…Rome…hm?  What's this doing here?" he asked himself as he pulled down an old, red book.  Printed along the binding it read, 'Customs of Ancient Egypt'.

[Someone must have misshelved this.  Still, it looks interesting….]  His mind wandered off as he opened the book to a random page to read part of it.  Amethyst orbs began scanning the text, when suddenly he stopped at a certain passage, stunned.

[What?  No way….]

Symbols of Love

Contrary to popular belief, the Ancient Egyptian people were in no way the gloomy, death-obsessed culture that so many have come to believe.  Love and marriage played a very important part in Egyptian society; it was widely celebrated, and many customs were associated with the pursuit of love.  For example, the lotus flower symbolized life, love, and desire, much like the red rose does for Americans.  The fruit of the mandrake plant was also known to symbolize love.

[Lotus flowers…and mandrake fruit…could this mean?]

Many of those who wished for blessing in love would carve amulets and pray to Hathor, the Egyptian goddess of love and music.  …The lute and lyre were played to invoke feelings of desire and possibly to woo one's love.  Orchestras were common at all Egyptian banquets for this reason.

[…not many people play lute or lyre anymore…but wait!  Yami suddenly took up guitar a little while ago!  The fruit, the flower, the music – everything leads back to these Egyptian customs of love!]  Yugi's heart sped up quickly, beating excitedly within his chest as he realized what this meant.  [Yami…Yami loves me!]  His eyes shined with tears of happiness as he closed the book, holding it tight.  Letting out a small laugh, he ran from the room.

Jou looked up, about to ask something, but Yugi was already gone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yami sat, strumming his guitar lightly under the cool shade of the cherry tree.  The gentle breeze passed him, caressing his hair as pink blossoms fell all around.  It was a sharp contrast to see; the dark, leather-clad figure in such a light and cheerful place, especially when he felt no such happiness in his heart.  Yami sighed, sick with love.  He had tried to court Yugi for the past few days – but, not understanding the modern ways of doing so, had to refer back to what little he knew from his own time and culture.  Despite his efforts, Yugi either didn't understand or didn't care, which only depressed Yami further.  If his aibou didn't understand, then how was he to explain it?  And if Yugi just didn't care….  He looked up sadly into the branches of the tree he sat against, closing his eyes as he continued to finger the strings of his guitar, never noticing two amethyst orbs as they peeked around the side of the house.

Yugi waited a few moments before stepping out, making sure that he remembered the words and that Yami wouldn't notice him until he started speaking.  Softly and carefully he tread forward, his heart beating rapidly as he began his poem-song.  

[Huh?  What's that sound?] Yami thought to himself.  [Someone's…speaking Ancient Egyptian?  But wh-]  All of the past-pharaoh's thoughts came to a halt as he opened his eyes to see who was speaking.  He stared as his aibou walked forward, reciting a poem as if he had lived in Ancient Egypt himself.  The sweetness of the words which he spoke made him start even further as he listened to Yugi's melodic voice.

_My heart has a portion of yours._

_I do its will for you_

_when I am in your arms._

_My prayer is the paint of my eyes._

_The sight of you makes bright_

_my eyes.  I come close_

_to see your love for me._

_Beloved lord of my heart!_

_How lovely my hour with you!_

_It flows forever for me_

_since first I lay with you._

_Whether in sorrow or joy,_

_you have exalted my heart._

_Never leave me, I beg._

"Y-Yugi…."

"Hello Yami," he replied, smiling.

Yami blinked, then shook his head to make sure that he wasn't dreaming.  But it was real – _he was real, as were the words he had uttered.  He stared at his charge, unknowingly causing the other to blush as Yami's eyes perused his thin form.  Yugi no longer wore his school outfit; instead, he had donned a light, white shirt and kilt, both of which were slightly see-through, reminiscent of the clothing style of Ancient Egypt.  His hair shone radiantly as he shifted his sandaled feet nervously, waiting for Yami's further reaction._

//You look beautiful, // Yami stated, having forgotten all of his usual checks and pretenses as he simply gawked at his hikari.

Yugi blushed further at the comment as he moved forward, removing the guitar from Yami's lap and sitting in its place.  He laughed a little as Yami's face now went red, confirming Yugi's earlier conclusion.  Without saying a word, he projected his discovery of the book into his protector's mind, silently showing that he now understood Yami's customs.

/Yami…. / Yugi started, soon after the mental images had faded.

//What is it, little one?//

/I'm sorry that I didn't understand what you've been trying to tell me for so long.  Really.  Yami, I love you. /  

He held up a beautiful white lotus blossom, which he had been hiding behind his back, offering it to Yami.  The protector took it quickly, never letting his eyes leave the sight of his aibou.  Seeing as how he was still in half-shock, Yugi leaned against his guardian and nuzzled his cheek.  Yami blinked at the touch, then closed his eyes as he wrapped his strong arms around his aibou, burrowing his face in Yugi's soft, fragrant hair.

//I love you too, Yugi.  I always have. //  Pulling slightly back, he looked into his charge's amethyst eyes once again.  //But, aibou…why didn't you say anything?//  Yami had never told Yugi outright about his love, but he had left as many hints as he could.  Why didn't his aibou do the same?  Yami suddenly regretted asking the question as he felt his hikari's emotions sink, eyes averted.

/A…Ano…I never thought you could love me.  Yami, you're perfect – you could have anyone you wanted…I just never believed that I could ever be good enough for you…you…you deserve better.  Really.  I'm such a loser – I just don't understand why you would pick me over someone else, like Kaiba or Joey or-/

Yugi was suddenly taken aback, feeling Yami's panic briefly before the teen grabbed him in a tight embrace, swiftly lowering his head to catch Yugi's lips in a deep, desperate kiss.  Moaning slightly, he quickly submitted to his guardian, clutching at Yami shirt tightly as the past-pharaoh continued to kiss him fiercely.  

//Nonononodon'tgosweethikaristaylovekindgentlesweetcaringaibouyoucannotleaveIneedyoustayyoubelongtomedon'tgo-//

/Y-yami?/  The words, the kiss, the embrace – Yami seemed so desperate, almost scared.  [Baka, what did I do?] he thought frantically.  /Yami, what's wrong?  Tell me, please!  I'm right here, it's ok!/ he continued, moving his hand to stroke the other teen as Yugi gently broke apart the kiss to look up at him worriedly.  He reached up to touch Yami's handsome face, another hand soon covering his own to keep it there as Yami sighed.

//Yugi…how could you ever think such things?  I don't care what others think, even if you yourself say you're not worthy.  That is not true – it never can be.  You are my Light, my star to follow when all else is lost.  By Ra, you're my other half!  Yugi, I can't LIVE without you.  Not that I'd ever want to; but even if you weren't, I still could not choose anyone better than you to love.  Kaiba, Joey – neither of them could ever be as sweet or kind or gentle or beautiful as you are to me, Hikari.//

/Yami…. /

//Yugi, whatever happens…please promise me you'll never think such thoughts ever again.  You're precious to me, no matter what; I love you. //

Eyes shimmering with happiness and tears, Yugi practically smothered his guardian in a loving hug.  /I promise Yami-chan!  I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to get you upset!/  He tried to burrow his head into Yami's chest, wanting to get as close as possible to his koi.  /Will you forgive me?/

//Of course, aibou, // he said as he moved to tilt Yugi's chin up gently with a hand. The cherry blossoms had dropped a few of their petals onto Yugi's head; smiling, Yami brushed them away as he enjoyed the feel of his hikari's soft, feathery hair.  Dropping his head down to meet Yugi's, they kissed again in what was this time a gentle, loving embrace.

The puzzle was now complete.

************************************************************************

Sources:

*Coptic Spell: Spell for a Man to Obtain a Male Lover.  http:// www.fordham.edu / halsall / pwh / copticspell.html . 

Fowler, Barbara.  Love Lyrics of Ancient Egypt.  Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1994.  pp. 25, 79.

**Hayes, Michael.  The Egyptians.  New York, New York: Rizzoli, 1998.

***Manniche, Lise.  Sexual life in ancient Egypt.  New York: Distributed by Columbia University Press, 1997.  (pages not remembered)

* - Spaces not included in web address.

**- This is an EXCELLENT book if you are at all interested in the culture and history of Ancient Egypt.  I highly recommend reading this book.

*** - This book is graphic, and should be rated something like PG-17.  Anyone who has taken health class and is comfortable with "the birds and the bees" should be fine.  But you have been warned!


	5. Point of View

Ok, real quick, a few things: First, my apologies for getting this out so late.  My reasons?  One, I gave my muse to a friend who kept him from me for a while, blunting my own attempts at writing (see my authoress page or DotP to understand).  Two, I go to college out-of-state, so there was this big long transition period in which I had to wait for my computer to be hooked up again.  And three, this story too WAY too long to write.  T_T  It was fun, yes, but tiring.  15 pages.  All I'll tell you is that the story is from Yami's pov – not that you wouldn't figure it out sooner or later.  Decided to try a 'Day in the Life' approach.  Eh.  Say what you will…Yami's probably a little OC, but can you really blame me?  (Wait, don't answer that.)

Disclaimer:  Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, don't own 'Finding Nemo', don't own Disney or WB or 4Kids or that Takahashi guy.  (Though, I _might start selling plush anime dolls that I make on the internet…but that has yet to be decided.  ^_^;)_

This story dedicated to the five people who have bothered to review my writing this past month – thank you!  (No one else loves me!!  T_T)

Ko-chan

Wolfspeaker

rox

Hikari no Yami

Mnemosyne

(P.S. – oh yeah…fan art appreciated!  ^_^;)  --MnY

//blah blah blah// - Yami talking

/blah blah blah/ - Yugi talking

************************************************************************

**Point of View**

*BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP*

Unn?

Oooh, great.  The alarm.  And it was all a dream, too.  Damn it.

….

There's something going on today, isn't there?  Hmm.  Oh well, if I can't remember, it can't be that important.

Ra-dammit, where are my clothes?  Not that I have that wide of a selection anyway…not my fault the stupid manufacturers can't think up anything decent.  Ah, here we go.

O_O  Y-yugi….  Hi.  Sorry, I'll leave you alone now, my mistake.

Wow.  Shirtless Yugi.  That was fun.  Oh great, I'm blushing aren't I?  Wonderful.  Just perfect.  

Damn, he's hot.

Hmm?  What is it, little one?

Uhhhhh, I'm not staring at you, really…um, I'm staring into space and you just happen to be there.  Yeah.

Um, I'll just go fix breakfast.

Baka, that was close.  Yeah, that would have been good, wouldn't it?  "Yeah Yugi, I'm staring at your half-naked body because I think you're hot and I have this crush on you."  Uh huh, that would have gone over well.

_  I just remembered.  I can't cook.  Great.

Maybe Grandpa left something in the fridge?  …ugh, nope.  Not unless we want moldy, half-eaten meatloaf for breakfast…eww.  I guess cereal will have to do.

Oh, here he comes (in all his glory).  You'd think I'd get used to seeing him around all the time…or at least that I'd have enough restraint by now not to stare at him whenever he walks in the room.  Pft.  Yeah right.  

Anyway, breakfast.  Sure, here you go, aibou.

What?  We're going to see a movie?  Really, just the two of us?  Oh.  He means the whole group.  I dunno, hikari, suddenly I'm not feeling so well.

Aibou, Anzu is the reason I DON'T want to go.  And I am not uptight or upset or always hiding my feelings from others…well, ok, maybe my feelings for Yugi, but Ra knows I'm not saying THAT out loud. 

 Really, I'm fine.  Loosen my belt??  What, has Yugi gone hentai, too?  Not that I wouldn't mind…oh, you mean _loosen up.  Oh well, I can dream._

Fine, fine, I'll go.  Though I haven't a clue as to _why_….  Yeah, I'm still not understanding that.  Why you mortals want to entertain yourselves by going blind is beyond me.  Yes, I already said I'd go!

Man, Yugi should NOT have worn clingy clothing today.  It looks WAY too good on him…sexy….  I wonder if-what's that noise?  Oh, the doorbell.  Joey must be here.

Hello.  Yes, coming.  Yugi, Joey's here with…something.  What is that?  A car, you say?  Oh, ok, I remember Yugi telling me about those things.  Dangerous, those things – death traps.

WHAT??  You're DRIVING???

Uh-uh.  NO WAY.  No WAY are you getting me to go inside that _thing_ with Joey behind the wheel.  NO, as a matter-of-fact, I DON'T trust you!  (You have to completely rely on luck just when we're _dueling; what makes you think you actually possess the skill to DRIVE that monstrosity???)  _

NO, Yugi, you are NOT going with him.  Why?  Because I don't want to have to clean up the horrible bloody mess that's going to result from riding with him.  No, I _don't _care if he passed the driver's test – we're taking a _bike_.  

Yes.  No, because I don't want to see you dead, that's why.  _So?  So _what_ if Kaiba is riding, too?  Do I look __intrigued by the idea?  Everyone thinks we have this rivalry going – I could care less about dueling him, but Kaiba has to be a big crybaby and make a huge scene.  Not _my_ fault he has some sort of weird personality disorder.  _

For Ra's sake, I could care _less whether Kaiba has the "guts" to ride in a car with you – that's not guts, he's just plain STUPID._

What?  I don't care if you trust Joey, I _don't_.  Yes, of _course_ I trust you, Yugi.  Wait, no, please don't – ah great.  He's doing that 'please-Yami-I'm-cute-don't-hurt-my-feelings-or-I-might-cry' look.  AUGH!!!  He does it on purpose too, I hate that!!

Fine.  We'll go in the car.  But Ra help me if Joey doesn't have a soul left by the end of this trip.  Kaiba too, for that matter.

Ok.  Door is locked.  Seatbelts on.  Windows up.  Helmets on.  Knee pads, shin pads – check.  Health insurance – check.  Medical information – check.  Donor card – check.

Overreacting?  _Me?  Yugi, I don't care how stupid you look, as long as you're in this car, that's how you're going to travel.  And you're stuck next to me, whether you like it or not.  _

Why?  Since I don't want you up front next to Joey the maniac, and if you're going to sit next to Kaiba, you're going to get molested.  (That's a privilege only for me…whoa, images…_…bad Yami, bad.)

What?  He doesn't mind sitting next to me?

You have no idea how happy that just made me, hearing that, Yugi.  You're such a sweet aibou.

Ok, we're off.

We are going to die.

Oh, we're picking up more victims – great.  At least we won't be the only ones to suffer.

Wait – this is Ryou's house.

No.  I am _not going._

Do I look like I want to spend the entire day hanging out with _Bakura?_  Don't these idiots know all the trouble he caused the LAST time we were out?

…ok, granted, the toffee machine accident wasn't _completely his fault…but I thought Bakura had better balance than that, or I would never have pushed him in the first place! _

He could have just climbed out, instead of causing a complete nuclear reaction at the fair!

Fine, aibou.  If you say so.  But shadow powers are becoming _increasingly hard to restrain at the moment…Ryou?  I don't know why he keeps that Tomb Robber around, he's a nice kid.  Of course, Yugi's nicer.  WAY nicer.  In all respects._

Ok, so this car is filled up; we're not picking anyone up, we're going.

Ra help us.

WHO?  _Anzu and Mai?  Why are THEY coming on this trip?_

Ra no.  Why, oh why did I get up this morning??

Joey, do you realize that there are only _six seats in this car?  And you want to fit __eight of us in here?  Well, at least Honda's out with Otogi…Malik, Marik, Isis, and Rishid are back in Egypt…Ra, I _envy_ them right now.  _

No, this _isn't_ going to work.  Someone's going to have to sit on someone else's _lap_ to make room at this rate….

Wait.  Oh wow.  _That could work_.

Hey aibou…you know how I _despise_ Anzu…and…well…  (I was wondering…if we're to make space…Ryou's sitting on _his_ yami's lap…) …_maybe_….  (Though, if Bakura doesn't stop snickering this minute, Ryou's going to be sitting on an ash pile when I'm through.)

Please say yes, please please _please…._

^_^  

This day suddenly got a _whole_ lot better.

Ok, so I still have to sit next to Bakura.  Oh well, I'll put up with just about anything to stay like this forever.  Heck, I'd even kiss Anzu.

Scratch that.  Anything BUT kiss Anzu.  Ewww…bad images…got to think of something else.

Like Yugi.  And chocolate.  NO!!  BAD BAD BAD YAMI!!  Not that THAT's a bad image, but…ARGH!  You're his protector, Ra-dammit!  Not his _lover!_

Though, that wouldn't be a bad situation either….mmm….

ACK!  Yami, snap _out of it!  You can't think these thoughts, not with Yugi sitting on your lap like this!!  Or else Yugi's going to notice something he shouldn't!_

Ok, we've stopped.  Now Yami, just ignore them.  Just ignore the two ditzy girls entering the car, just ignore that sickening look Anzu is giving you.  Joey might get upset if you suddenly threw up all over his car.  Not to mention Yugi would be upset if you tried to hurt her or anything.

Oh no, Anzu.  You are NOT sitting near me.  No, I _refuse to move.  Can't you see I'm __busy?  Yes – I'm busy being a seat for my hikari, and you're not invited to join in.  Sit next to Kaiba.  Or Joey.  But _not me_._

And NO, you can't talk to Yugi either.  See?  He's _mine_.  MINE.  That's right, just turn around and don't talk to me.  Or Yugi.  _Stay away_.

Hmm?  What's that, Yugi?  Ok, ok, I promise not to glare at your friends to the point of death.  For now.

I just hope there are only six seats left in the theater, too.

Hmmm…I really hope we get stuck in traffic.  I could stay like this forever.  Yugi's hair is so soft – there's an Ancient Egyptian turn-on for you…love soft, shiny hair like Yugi's.  And soft skin.  I wish I could just hug him forever.  

Though it is odd that the theater would be so far away – oh, that's right, we picked up people.  With Anzu and Mai being last – Mai lives, what, 50 km away?  

Remind me again _why_ they came with us?

And what's a _km_?

*chuckle*  Yugi, you've fallen asleep – looks like I'm not the only one who noticed the long commute.  *Sigh*  I love you, aibou.  Maybe we could cuddle like this sometime when you're actually awake?

Right.  And I'm the king of Spain…actually, _maybe_ I was.  Who's to say I'm not!!

/You're not what?/

//AAHH!  Yugi!//

/O_o?  I'm sorry Yami, are you ok?/

Other than scaring me out of my _ka?  //Yes, Yugi, I'm fine.  How are you?//_

/Tired./

//I thought you were sleeping.//

/I was./

//I'm sorry, did I wake you?//

/No, Yami – we're here./

*blink*  Well, _there's a surprise.  //Oh.//_

/Come on!  ^_^/

//Ok, ok.//  Ack, I can never say no, can I?  

Aw, dammit, that means I have to let go, too!  Rrrrr.

Ok, now that we're - Eww.  Anzu.  I almost forgot about her.  Too bad.  Ra, why _ever _did you let such a girl be created on earth?  AUGH!!!  SHE'S _TOUCHING_ ME!!!  GET IT AWAY!! GET IT _AWAY!!_

*whew*  Ok, that's better.  At least she's got a short attention span.  What?  _No_, if you were to jump off that ledge I would NOT save you in the least, Anzu.  Dear Ra.  Where'd 

Yugi go off to?  Hmm…well, there's _Joey_.  Though I'd much rather be spending my time with Yugi.  Dammit.

Hi Joey.  …I suppose I'm ok as can be.  Do you know where Yugi is?  

What?

And you didn't _ask_ him where he was going or what he was doing??  _Dammit, Joey...._

Yes, I'm _sure_ he can manage on his own.  (But _I can't manage without him around.  For example, in about two seconds I am going to wring your _scrawny little neck_, which usually Yugi is here to prevent.)_

_Calm down?_  No, I am NOT going to calm down!!  I'm his protector, I have to know where he is at _all times!!_

Huh?  Where?  Oh, ok, I see.  I suppose needing to go to the bathroom after a ride that long is understandable.  Yeah.  Ok, _ok Joey, I'm SORRY – happy?  _

*sigh*  This is boring.  Why are we talking about Mai's nails?  What that girl really needs is an actual skirt – no wonder Joey is always letting her beat up on him, he always ends up on the floor, looking up.  Idiot.

I seriously have to wonder why Yugi hangs out with these people some times.  I mean, sure, they're nice and all, but they're all incredibly dense, too.  Except for the quiet ones, come to think of it.  Kaiba, Ryou – heck, even Bakura when he's not discussing methods of death and torture – and of course, there's Yugi.

Hmm?  What is-YUGI!!  You're back – are you ok?

What do you mean?  I was worried about you!

I realize that, aibou, but never take anything for granted – you never know, the bathroom can be a very dangerous place.

Why are you all staring at me like that?  He could have slipped on a puddle of water and hit his head on the sink!  Do you REALIZE how many safety hazards there are in a public bathroom?

I really don't see what's so funny….  Apparently you guys aren't seeing this like I do…oh no, don't tell me I've given Bakura some new ideas for killing.  *sigh*

Idiots.  The whole world is full of _idiots_.

Of course, without idiots the world wouldn't function – no fast-food, no computer-service help…no politicians….

Never mind.  This world WOULD be better with all the idiots gone.  Then it would just be me and aibou.  ^_^  Heh heh heh heh….

Oops – forgot not to laugh out loud.  Yes, I am a slightly nuts, powerful and overprotective pharaoh; do you have a problem with that?

Yugi's so cute when he laughs.  And smiles.  Heck, he's cute all the time.

Hmm?  I suppose.  I wonder what we're seeing this afternoon – what tickets has Joey bought without passing my inspection?

'Finding Nemo'?  Isn't that a kid's movie?

Young at heart?  Mai, I'm five thousand years old, technically speaking.  That argument's really not going to hold over too well with me.

Yeah, like I'm going to be paying attention to the movie when it comes on, anyway.  Ra knows the last time we went to see one of these things I just spent the entire time staring at Yugi.

Aw, and the theater's half-empty too.  *sigh*

Oh well.  'Movie Time', I suppose….

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ok, that's over.  Jeez, I hope no one asks me about _that_ one…I heard something about a fish being a "natural blue", seagulls yelling "mine", and something obsessive about bubbles, but other than that I have _no clue what that was about…of course, maybe if I had actually been paying _attention_ to the movie, I wouldn't have this problem; but the only things I like to watch are Yugi, documentaries on Ancient Egypt, and watching Kaiba getting beat at Duel Monsters.  Though, if I had the choice, I'd just sit around and watch Yugi all day, only.  *sigh*  Cruel world…._

The park?  Ok, sure, I guess.  Sitting next to Yugi, underneath the shade of a tree next to a brook…oh, they're coming too, huh?  Kuso.

Yes, it does seem a little hot outside, I suppose.  Though, having lived in the desert for Ra-knows how long, it's really not that bad….

You're WHAT???

NO!  Yugi, I forbid it!  You _will not, in any way, shape or form, be taking your pants off._

_Why?_  Because we're in PUBLIC!!

I don't believe you.  What?  A demonstration?  …what would he do if I told him that's the sort of thing I dream about?  _  Yeah, the puzzle would be destroyed.  Probably would be dismantled, smashed to bits…for the _third_ time….

Yugi, I _told_ you-

Oh.  Hey, that's actually pretty clever.  So they just zip off like that?  So why don't they make leather pants that turn into shorts??

Well, _I_ wear leather shorts, ok?  (Actually I never would, but Joey's _really_ starting to get on my nerves now….)

So wait, what do you do with the pieces left over?  …no, Bakura, I _don't think they're supposed to be used as neck-warmers…though if you're really so eager to try it out, be my guest._

HAHAHA!!!  Holy _Ra, I didn't think that Tomb Robber was so stupid!!!  Quick, Yugi, where's your camera?  I need a shot of this!!_

Huh, scissors?  Now hold on, that's my hikari's!  No, it's his own damn fault that he stuck it over his head and looks like a demented giraffe!  

*sigh*  Oh, fine.  Go ahead.  Who knows, maybe they'll accidentally kill him with those things.

But wait, that would upset Ryou.  And if Ryou's upset, Yugi's going to be upset.  And as much as I'd like to console him, he'd probably hate me for also being happy seeing the Tomb Robber in that state.  Hmm.

Ok.  No death – how about a coma?  Yeah, that works.

So now what?  Joey, could you please put a leash on your boyfriend over there so he doesn't try to skewer me with the scissors?  Or rather, so he doesn't lose his mind from the imminent mind crush aimed for him if he does?

*sigh*  Yugi, I-

Hey, where's Yugi?

You're right, Ryou's missing too…where did they go?

//Aibou?//

/Ya-mi…./

Ow…wait a minute, I didn't do anything…o_o…oh no….

//Yugi?!  Where are you, what's going on?//

/You'd better get here…I don't know how long I can hold him off…./

//O_O  YUGI!  Hold who off??  Where are you??//

/…./

//YUGI!!//

Kuso!  Where-Ryou!  Have you seen Yugi?  He's in trouble, and-

…he WHAT??  Well, don't just stand there, take us to him!!

Oh Ra, Yugi, please be ok…that's just like you, trying to defend Ryou from getting hurt, but what about yourself?  Please be ok, please Ra, don't let it be too late….

YUGI!!

WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, YOU KISAMA?!  LET GO OF MY AIBOU RIGHT NOW!!  

Oh REALLY?  Bakura, he's all yours.

That should take care of him for a while.  He was going to want revenge anyway for trying to hurt Ryou….

Oh Ra, Yugi, please, don't be dead, don't be dead, no no no, please don't-

Thank the Gods – are you sure, Joey?  Just knocked out?  No broken bones?  Fine.  

What am I doing?  What does it LOOK like I'm doing, idiot?!  I'm taking Yugi home!  No, I'm not waiting for the car – we live a block away from here.  NO Anzu, you CAN'T COME WITH!  

No, no more debate.  We're going.  I'll give you a call – thanks, Joey.

Oh Gods, Yugi.  Joey and Kaiba seem somewhat knowledgeable about these things, but I can't help but worry.  I just wish you would say something to let me know you're ok.

//Yugi?//

/…./

Kuso.

….

Yugi's going to kill me when he sees that I just broke down our front door instead of unlocking it properly…oh well, worry about that later.  Yugi….

There.  Now, where the heck did Grandpa stow the med kit?  

AUGH, how many freaking' medications does that old man need to take?  …_Viagra?  *shudder*  Dear Ra, what has __he been up to?...First Aid!  Great!_

…Ra, Yugi…if Bakura didn't tear that man into a million pieces I'll personally go over there and blast both of them away.  How could anyone do this to you?  Yugi's such an angel, absolutely perfect in every way – I only wish you were sometimes a little less eager to stand up for others, hikari…but I suppose that's just another reason why I love you….

Love.  Hah.  That's funny, coming from someone called 'Darkness'.

//Yugi?//

/…./

//Ra, I hope you're ok…Yugi?//

/…./

*sigh*  This is all my fault.  I should never have left him alone!  I'm his protector; I'm supposed to PROTECT him, hence the term PROTECT-OR.  -_-   I failed.  Yugi was the one doing the protecting this time, not me.  Some yami I turned out to be.  At this rate, I deserve to be shut up in the puzzle again.

That puzzle….

I can remember how painful it was, Yugi.  You know my memories were still locked away for a time, but at least I knew they were THERE…before then, my present being only existed in the eye piece of the puzzle, while the rest of them contained my memories and powers…I had no idea who I was, and the pain of being separated into pieces was excruciating…I never thought it would end….

But, I suppose that was child's play, compared to the time that I was locked up in there, alone…with no memories of people, places, or things…I-I wasn't sure if I even existed…I longed for companionship, but without the knowledge…I always thought…that I was the only one….

And then, suddenly, something clicked.  All of a sudden, part of my awareness appeared.  I knew my name, knew that I was human, that I was not alone, but simply trapped, waiting for someone to free me…I could feel parts of my mind returning to me, as if someone were placing them inside my head….  Soon I became aware of my prison, that I was trapped inside the puzzle…and still, the pieces continued to fall into place…you were halfway finished when I realized this, I remember…and I was so grateful-I still am-that I made a vow then and there, that if I was ever released from my hell I would go and find you, you who had shed a ray of hope upon my miserable existence.

Heh…of course, I never thought I'd fall in love with you.

Funny…I remember the first time I saw you, when you had finally completed it.  A flash of light, and there I was, looking around your cheery room for the first time, marveling at all the color, all the changes the world had gone through.  And then, there you sat…and I stopped.  I'm sure that you'd assume that it was because we looked so similar, but it was far from it.  Somehow, I had always sensed that we would end up looking alike, but I had no idea just how different you would be from me.  

I'm surprised I didn't fall through the floor.

Never did I expect my rescuer to be so...beautiful.  Not just in looks, but in mind, soul, and heart.  You amazed me to no end…I wanted to get to know you right then and there, to learn all about you, but you…you were scared…and who wouldn't be?  I mean, just how often does one find spirits popping out of inanimate objects at random, especially ones that look just like you?  I had to cast a sleeping spell on you…you were so exhausted from staying up, finishing the puzzle that it took little effort…and I returned to my soul room, using the Egyptian eye on the front of the puzzle in order to see you and your world, for the time being.  You woke up, figured it was all a dream, and continued on with your life, as I watched you from the sidelines.

The rest…well, you already know, don't you?  From Duelist Kingdom to Battle City, and beyond.  You helped free me and, well, here I am.

I love you, Yugi.

*sigh*

Hmm?  What's that noise?  Huh?

YUGI!

You're awake, you're alive, _thank Ra!  Are you ok?  How do you feel?_

…I don't have any idea what it feels like to be trampled by a herd of elephants, but I'm sure that _would_ hurt.  What happened?  Hm.  And he started beating on Ryou?  And then you…Yugi….  He did _WHAT?  That bastard!  Damn him, I'm so going to-_

Huh?  Hey, anyone who threatens and points a gun at MY AIBOU deserves a trip to the Shadow Realm in my book.  I guess I'll just have to hope that Bakura finished the job up properly.

Yugi, lay _still_ – you're going to hurt yourself even more.  Are you _sure_ you're ok?  _Positive?_  Swear by the name of Ra?  Ok…but you're _sure?  Ra, doesn't this kid worry about himself at _all?__

Gomen ne, Yugi…I should have been there for you.  No, this isn't your fault, it's mine – don't you DARE say otherwise.  Sticking up for Ryou against someone like that was courageous and thoughtful on your part….  Me?  As for me, I can't even do my job right.  I'm so sorry, aibou.  You should never have had to face him…this is all my fault.  Stupid, stupid Yami.

How can he just brush it off like that?  How can he always be so forgiving, so caring, so concerned for the well-being of others, even if it means putting himself in danger?

*sigh*

//Why is he so good, so pure, so innocent in heart and spirit?  Ra, I don't deserve Yugi as a partner…he has gone through such a _hell _already, just from knowing me….//

/I don't care./

//WHA?!  Y-YUGI!//

/*chuckle* You slipped./

*blush*  Great.  Just _great_.  What _else_ did he hear??  Yami no baka, just see if he ever wants to be with _you_ again.

/Yami, if you're thinking about leaving, I swear I will lock the house up, board up the windows, and injure myself again to make sure you stay here./

//But Yugi-//

/No, Yami, I mean it./

Aibou…Ra, his eyes sparkle like the heavens….

//Yugi, I….//

/…./

//I….//

/O_o?  Yami, are you trying to tell me something?/

Oh, that's great – yeah Yami, just nod your head up and down like the idiot you are.  No, don't shake your head after that – now he's going to be suspicious!!  _Damn it, Yugi, why do you have to be so beautiful?_  Arg!!!

//Uh, never mind.//

/No Yami, go ahead!  ^_^/

*sigh*  Fine.  I'll get this over with.  Heck, I don't deserve him anyway – what's the harm in telling him…well, he _could_ burst a vein and kill me…Ra knows that the little guy can get _extremely vicious if pushed to it…and there are plenty of knives in the kitchen…at least that would solve the problem of me always causing him trouble…come to think of it, when __was the last time Grandpa sharpened those things?  I mean, dying is dying, but at least a sharp knife will do it quick…and if it's dull, and Yugi's mad, I doubt he's going to go correct the problem…._

/Yami?/

//Um, ok, but would you mind if I went and sharpened all the knives in the kitchen first?//

/O_o?  What for?/

Skip it.  Just SAY it.

//Yugi…Iloveyou.//

/…what?/

//I said…"I love you."//

Oh Ra.  He's staring.

//I think I'll go sharpen those knives now.//  Great.  Blew it _again_ for the _second time today, Yami.   I've probably scarred his mind for life - go me._

/Yami, wait./

Huh?  Yugi, what tha-

….

Woah.

Yugi….

Oh _wow_.  Gods, this is _amazing…I never imagined kissing Yugi would be __this good.  He tastes like cotton candy…light, delicate, sweet…Yugi, _could this mean_…?_

//Yugi.//

Ra, he's so warm, so beautiful.  _Those eyes_….

/I love you too, Yami./

No way.

No.  Way.

/Yami?  Please say something?/

Oh my Gods…I can't believe it.  

//Yugi….//

This is _wonderful_.

….

….

….

I have got to be the _luckiest_ guy in the world.

//You're not going anywhere, ever again.//

/Hah, do I have a choice?/

//I'm never letting go.//

/Good.  Let it stay that way./

//Yugi?//

/Hmm?/

//Aishiteru.//

^_^   ^_^

************************************************************************


	6. Part I Ordinary Day

_To start off, a warning:_ the authoress' notes for this are going to be much longer, basically because I am announcing a contest.  If you have no interest in it whatsoever, just skip to the story.

Hello everyone!  Yes, I know it's been a while since I last posted anything – I'm really sorry about that.  My excuse this time?  It took me an entire month to clean my room.  ^_^;  Anyway, I decided to tackle an AU story, which is why you'll see this chapter is labeled 'Part I' – to establish characters and their relationships (which we usually already know about in usual fanfiction), there's so much more to write…but most of you already knew that, so I'll just shut up now….

This story is dedicated to all the wonderful people who reviewed my last one-shot, since it's been a month since I last updated:

Mercedes

Cherry

MMW

Wolfspeaker

Junko the Lost

Hikari no Yami

yami13

Princess Strawberry

Riyu

Ko-chan

iczer6

Li

Mittens2200

Mikomi Rae

rox

The Chaotic Ones

Hermione06

…O_O…Ra, I had no idea that so many people reviewed my last story on here!  Wow, thanks everyone!  I know a few of you asked me to review your own stories, and I promise I will – internet usage is rationed to the extreme at my house, so between that and my faulty memory, you may have to wait a little longer until I get to it, sorry!

And while you're all still here, reading this stuff…**CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENT!!  **

OK, here's the deal: I have a full-fledged Y/Y fic I am currently working on.  It's titled 'Destinies of the Past' – however, now that I'm nearing the end, I've realized that the title isn't very good, and isn't really related to the story like it should be.  SO, what I'm looking for from all you folks is an awesome new title for the story – that's it!  The winner will get to choose one of the following:

        a.) Fanart for story of choice

        b.) Supporting part in a one-shot fic (Y/Y, of course!!!  ^_^_^)

        c.) A "free commission" of a one-shot.

I've already gotten a few submissions, so be sure to let me know what your ideas are!  Once I've gotten them all, I'll post the results and winner with the second part of this story, 'k?  Enjoy the show!  --MnY

Disclaimer:  Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or it's characters.  'Chivetta's' is the name of a catering service where I live, but I am simply borrowing its name because I am stupid and uncreative.  Oh, and I don't own 'Lord of the Dance' either.  ^_^;  

…Just so everyone knows, the restaurant is a 'T.G.I.Friday' sort of place (which I don't own either) – I should have put a lot more description about the place in, but there's already so much here that I don't want to.  ^_^;;;;  Heck, now that I've read the entire thing over again, it needs a major re-haul.  *rolls eyes*  Oh well – with me, it's inevitable.  *sigh*

[blah blah blah] – thinking

************************************************************************

**Part I – Ordinary Day**

****

"Hi!  Welcome to Chivetta's!  How may I help you?"

"Uh, yeah, we'd like a table fa two."

"Smoking or non?"

"Non, thanks."

"Right this way!"

The all-too-perky brunette turned away from her two guests, and like ducklings in tow they followed her through the crowded, yet somewhat peaceful restaurant as she showed the teens to their seats.  "Our specials today are the Barbecue Chicken Parmesan and the Vegetable Noodle soup," she recited as both males sat down in the booth, one on each side.  "Is there anything I can get yous while you're waiting?" 

The blonde teen that had sat down made a slight face before replying, "Nah, thanks."

"Ok!  Your server will be right with yous!"  With a smile and a wink, the hostess left the table, leaving Joey to groan and put a hand to his head as he looked over at his companion, who was studying the menu carefully.

"Ugh, man, I can't stand it!  Sure, I know I use slang, but come on!  'Yous'?  Whateva happened ta proper grammar, eh Yami?"

Instead of replying verbally, the spiky-haired teen merely 'hmm'ed in reply.  Joey frowned slightly as he pushed his own menu out of the way and pulled Yami's down from in front of his face, staring into his crimson eyes with concern.

"Yami, you've got ta let go of this, man.  Tha more you get worked up over that Shizo guy, tha more it's gonna bother ya."

The leather-clad teen blinked, furrowing his brow a little.  "What do you mean, Joey?"

"It's like this, Yami," he started, leaning back in his seat as he crossed his arms and legs, his voice still serious (or as serious as it could get, in Joey's case).  "You kinda liked Shizo.  Ok.  You asked him out.  No go.  So?  You move on.  Trust me on dis one – this isn't the end of tha world.  Besides, you can do a lot better than that sleezeball.  I mean, come on!   The guy is a pot head for cryin' out loud!"

"Really?" Yami asked, his eyes slightly wide from surprise.

"Yeah – saw him over on the opposite side of tha school tha other day, getting' all knocked up.  What?  You didn't know?" he asked as he shed his green over-shirt to reveal the slightly wrinkled white T-shirt he wore.

The other shook his head quickly, his blonde bangs swaying back and forth as he did so.  "No, Joey – I only knew him from class; I wasn't aware that he was that kind of person."

"Jeez, man, ya gotta look out for yourself!  Good thing you've got ol' Joey here to watch out for you all tha time!"  The lanky blonde grinned as he struck an over-dramatic pose, not unlike something out of _Lord of the Dance.  "Yeah!  Super Joey saves the day again!" _

For the first time that week, Yami smiled as he watched Joey go through his superhero routine amusedly.  Quite contrary to Joey's last statement, it was usually always Yami that was getting his friend out of not-so-favorable predicaments – whether it was helping him worm his way out of detention, vouching for him when he was past curfew (Joey's mom always had a soft spot for Yami), or helping his friend out whenever he got into a fight, Yami was always there to back Joey up.  So it was slightly ironic that here Joey was, a self-proclaimed hero for the day.  Still, Joey's encouraging words meant a lot to him – he was mostly over the Shizo incident from a few days before, but knowing that Joey was still right there behind him helped erase any remaining negative feelings.

"Thanks, Joey," he said, interrupting the blonde in the middle of his improvised superhero song.  Blinking, Joey stared for a few seconds with wide amber eyes before laughing a little.

"Yeah yeah, whateva," he said, waving it off. 

The two waited patiently for their server to come, though Joey being a little less patient than Yami, complaining that he hadn't had anything to eat since four o'clock, which was less than an hour ago.  As they sat there, Yami took a look around the restaurant, absent-mindedly adjusting a studded bracelet around his wrist.  It was one of those places that loved to tack up anything even remotely antique-ish up on the walls and ceiling.  The teen winced as he spotted an early electric guitar sitting above a window across from him – it would have served a much better purpose had it not had five or six nails driven through it to keep it there.  He found himself running a hand through his spiky red-and-black hair, letting his crimson eyes wander.  While he pondered exactly where big restaurant chains like this got all of these objects to decorate with, a kind, cheerful voice broke through his thoughts.  Yami glanced up, startled, as their waiter stood at the front of the table in a green-striped, short-sleeve dress shirt and black pants, a small notepad at the ready.

"Hi!  My name is Yugi; how are you two doing?"

"Eh, doin' alright – thanks for askin'," replied Joey, slightly surprised by the friendliness of their server.  "How 'bout you?"

The teen, Yugi, smiled as he replied, "Oh, I suppose it's going as well as can be, thanks.  What can I get you?"

"Ehhhh, I'll have the Chicken Teriyaki."

Nodding, Yugi took down the order on his notepad.  "And for you?" he asked, turning to the person sitting to his right as he continued scribbling. 

Instead of ordering, Yami couldn't help but sit and stare for a few moments at their server, hardly aware that Yugi had spoken.  Was this some sort of trick?  At first glance, the two of them could have been long lost brothers, but Yami was sure that he didn't have any missing relatives.  Of course, they weren't exactly twins, either; though both of them sported a tri-color hairstyle, Yugi's own seemed a little more calm and softer in appearance.  In addition, Yugi was a bit shorter than himself, and had what seemed to Yami to be the most beautiful eyes in the world – a deep amethyst color.  As he continued analyzing this strange likeness, his train of thought was interrupted once again – this time, by Joey.

"Hey man," he said, knocking him on the shoulder lightly.  "You gonna order or not?"

"Hmm?  Oh, sorry," he said quickly, grabbing a menu and folding it up.  "I'll have the same."  He watched as Yugi changed the order from one to two, then looked up with a smile.

"Ok, I'll have that right out to you as soon as it's ready.  Anything else?" he asked, turning to Yami.  Seeing the teen shake his head dumbly, Yugi couldn't help but take a step forward to get a better look at him.  "Uh, excuse me, but do I know you from somewhere?" he asked, also noticing the uncanny likeness between the customer and himself.  Unable to speak, Yami shook his head again.  Shrugging, Yugi turned to look at both of them.

"Well, if you have any questions, please let me know – see ya!"  With that, the teen turned around and went to go put the order in, Yami's eyes following him the entire way.

[Wow,] was all Yami could think of as he watched Yugi depart.  Feeling a tapping on his shoulder, the crimson-eyed teen reluctantly shifted his gaze from their server, who had just disappeared into the kitchen, to the figure sitting across from him, nearly ready to burst with laughter.

"What?" Yami asked, blinking as Joey started chuckling.  "What's so funny?"

Joey couldn't contain it any longer.  Without warning, the blonde teen let out a mighty roar of laughter – never had he seen Yami so shocked in his life, not until their server came by; the expression on his face was priceless!  After a few minutes, Joey calmed down enough to look at Yami as the other stared at him perplexed, an eyebrow raised in a curious fashion.  Suddenly feeling the stares from the rest of the customers in the restaurant – it had gotten very quiet after Joey's outburst – the slightly eccentric teen flushed a little with embarrassment.  "Uh, yeah, sorry about dat, folks," he apologized to the other bystanders as he stood up.  "Emmm…continya wit whatever you were doin' – situation's unda control now."  As the surrounding conversations slowly picked up once again, he shot a sheepish grin at his best friend as he sat back down on the red vinyl booth seat, unsuccessfully attempting to hide his head from the many stares around him.  After a sigh and a smile, the lanky blonde finally remembered to respond to Yami's original question, as the other sat there wide eyed but waiting patiently. 

"Man!  I'm surprised ya didn't fall dead on the spot, Yami!  I mean, really – that was kinda freaky, dontcha think?  Who'd've thought there'd be anotha one of ya runnin' around these parts?" he explained, gesturing to the last place Yugi had been seen in the restaurant.

"I don't know, Joey.  Though I have to agree with you, he's very…intriguing."

The two sat in silence for a moment, as a sly grin graced the blonde's face.  "Heh hehhh…."

"What?"

"I know that look."

"What are you talking about?"  Yami asked, a little annoyed – he was trying to spot that Yugi kid again, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"You like him, don't you?"

"WHA?" Yami exclaimed, his cheeks turning slightly red.

"Come on, Yami – you may be calm and controlled most of the time, but when it comes to love I can read you like a children's book."

The said person turned away from him, gazing out the window while trying to hide his embarrassment.  "I don't know what you're talking about, Joey.  I think this whole 'superhero' thing has gone to your head."  He shrugged before looking back at his friend.  "Besides, it's like you said – if someone who looked almost exactly like you suddenly showed up, wouldn't you want to get to know him too?"

"Yeah, I suppose."

As the two friends began chatting aimlessly about school and life at home, Yami pretended to look around the restaurant some more, hoping to get a glimpse of their server again.  He knew it was weird to be acting like this, but Yami couldn't help but feel a strong attraction to the teen.  It was different from any of his previous interests, this feeling.  Though he had just met him, Yugi seemed special – not only was he very beautiful, but very kind and polite as well - something that Yami was surprised to encounter in his rough-and-tumble life.

Suddenly, as if in answer to his thoughts, the server returned with a tray and two plates full of food.

"Ok, here you go," Yugi stated as he grabbed a plate and put it down in front of Joey.  After serving Yami as well, the teen stood there a little longer as Joey took a bite.  "How is it?  Is there anything wrong?"

Grinning with a mouth stuffed with chicken, the blonde wagged his head 'no' to indicate that it was fine.

"Well then, enjoy!" he said, smiling as turned to depart.  As he did, he glanced at Yami.  Their eyes meeting momentarily, Yugi left for the kitchens again while Yami continued watching, poking his head out from the safety of the booth to see where the teen had gone.  Feeling another poke on his shoulder, Yami sighed slightly before turning around to face Joey.

"He' Yami – ya ganna eat that?" the blonde managed to get out through a mouthful of food.

Seeing that Joey was two bites away from finishing the meal that had been served only seconds before, Yami quickly picked up a fork and began eating at his own pace.  However, soon finding that he couldn't eat with Joey staring at his half-finished dinner voraciously, he put down his fork, pushing the plate towards his friend as the other eagerly attacked it.  As Yami watched Joey licking all the sauce off the plate, Yugi suddenly returned – a small, black tray in one hand, and a sundae in the other.

"Here you go," he said as he placed both items on the table – the ice cream in front of Yami, and the check in front of Joey.  

Yami looked up and, finally finding the ability to speak again, stated, "I didn't order this," as he pointed at the dessert in front of him.

Yugi smiled slightly.  "I know – its, uh, complementary."  Seeing Yami raise an eyebrow in skepticism, Yugi brought his head down to talk quietly, a hand on the left side of his face.  "Your friend here seems to enjoy eating so much, I was afraid you'd leave here without actually having anything yourself."

Smiling, Yami whispered a 'thank you' while Joey began ranting and raving about the price of dinner.  Nodding with a knowing look, Yugi straightened as he pushed a rolled-up sleeve farther up his arm.  

"Thank you very much, and we hope to see you again sometime!" he stated to the both of them before departing; the manager was beginning to yell at the spiky-haired server about overstaying one's visit with individual customers.  Again, Yami watched as the teen trotted off, this time his smile still plastered to his face.  Noting that it was suddenly quiet again, Yami turned to see Joey leaning over his side of the table.  He had grabbed an extra spoon, and was just about to devour a scoop of ice cream the size of Rhode Island when he noticed Yami staring at him.  Unable to hide the evidence, the teen stared back at his friend with the ever-so-common 'deer-in-the-headlights' look, slightly panicked.

"Uhhhhh…." Joey started, trying to stall while he thought up an explanation.  He didn't have to, as Yami calmly grabbed the spoon from his own clutches with a warning look while he pulled the dish of ice cream a little closer to himself.

"Awwww, come on, buddy!  Don't you wanna share with yer best pal Joey?" he pleaded.

"No."

"Hey!" he started angrily.

"Excuse me, but who decided I wasn't eating my dinner fast enough?" Yami asked, staring at his friend as he held up his spoon to point at him.

"Oh!  Uh, yeah, I guess ya have a point there.  Hey, but where'dya get that, anyway?  It isn't on the check here – not to say I'd want it to be," Joey added as he looked dishearteningly at the small slip of paper in front of him.

Smirking, Yami replied, "Birds of a feather stick together," as he nodded towards his look-alike, now serving a family of four across the room.  Looking to see who Yami was referring to, he turned back to grin at his friend, asking the one question that would cause the leather-clad teen to choke on his ice cream, as well as earn Joey a short beating once they had left the safety of the restaurant.

"So, d'ya mind if I stop by to watch while you and the look-alike are getting it on tonight?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Ugh, forget it – whoever said drawing pictures of buildings was essential to our education needs to be checked for drug abuse,] Yami thought as he stared at the many structures towering above him.  Essays and math problems, he could handle – but now, the teen was just about ready to go crazy from staring at all the white, dull buildings around him.  Sighing, he looked through his sketchpad, wishing for the thousandth time that day that Joey was there, rather than visiting his aunt who lived a few hundred miles away.  The assignment was to draw ten different structures, and Yami only had 5 finished.  As numerous cars passed him by, he sat down on a nearby bench, taking a break as he leaned back to look at everything around him.  It was a busy place, but a little more widespread in area – it felt more like an extremely built-up suburb than a city.  As the teen continued to look around, his eyes suddenly spotted a multi-colored, one-story building, which stuck out among the rest of the architecture.  It was Chivetta's, the place that he and Joey had gone to eat only 3 days before.  [And where Yugi works, too,] his mind added, as he remembered the kind and stunning waiter that had served them.  Hearing his stomach growl softly, Yami took a look at his watch.  [One o'clock, and only halfway done with this project – I guess a little lunch couldn't hurt.]  Standing up, he began walking over to the restaurant, his heart jumping a little.  [Who knows – maybe I'll get to see Yugi again.]

As soon as Yami entered the restaurant, however, the teen began to have his doubts.  The place was much more crowded and noisy compared to the last time he was there – he could barely hear the bell ring as he opened the front door, walking up to the podium where people lined up to be seated.  As he was about to wonder where the host or hostess was, a girl suddenly popped out of nowhere, a sickeningly sweet smile pasted to her face as she batted her big blue eyes at the newest arrival.

"Hi!  Welcome to Chivetta's!  How may I help you?"

Yami mentally rolled his eyes.  [Dear Ra, it's that stupid brunette again.]  He suddenly thought of leaving, as the girl continued to wink and flirt with him in her all-too-short skirt, but the thought of possibly running into Yugi again rooted him to the spot.

"Well, I'd like to eat here, please – if that isn't too much trouble," he stated sarcastically, practically yelling over the din that was already present in the restaurant.

"That's fine with me!" she remarked with a small giggle.  "Smoking or non?"

"Non," Yami replied as he took a good look at her nametag.  [Anzu.  Ok – must remember never to run into this 'Anzu' ever again.]

"Right this way!"

Yami followed as the hostess weaved in between customers and servers alike, leading him over to a table for two next to a long panel of windows.  Placing a menu in front of him as he pulled out his chair and sat down, she began to recite the items of the day yet again.

"Our specials today are the Barbecue Chicken Parmesan and the Vegetable Noodle soup.  Is there anything I can get you while you're waiting?" 

Yami stared at her for a second, perplexed.  [Is she on autopilot or something?  Those are the same specials from last time.]  Instead, he simply replied, "No thank you."

"Ok!  Your server will be right with you!"  With yet another smile and a wink, the hostess left the table.  Without Joey present, it was now Yami's turn to groan.  [This was a bad idea, Yami,] he told himself rather bitterly.  [Not only is it crowded and noisy, but this whole restaurant seems to be stuck in some sort of weird time loop.]  He looked over at the hostess with disgust as she repeated the entire ordeal with yet another young man who had just walked through the door.  Another groan, louder this time, and Yami let his head fall over to hit himself on the table, suddenly extremely tired and frustrated.

[Ow….  Ok, that was stupid,] he thought as he picked himself up, wincing while rubbing his forehead gingerly.  Suddenly, wide crimson eyes flew open as Yami's ears perked to attention, somehow managing to pick out a friendly tenor voice from the rest of the yelling and bickering going on at other tables.

"Well, thank you very much – we hope to see you again soon!"

Yami turned his head sharply in the direction of the speaker.  There, only a few tables away with his back turned to him, was Yugi, the waiter from before.  The leather-clad teen watched from where he sat, smiling slightly as Yugi stopped to help another customer.  The boy looked ready to faint from all the business and running around, but it had failed to damper his spirits as he met each customer with a friendly greeting.  Yami shook his head – how could one person be so calm and cheerful with all this commotion?  He continued to watch as the server began to make his way over to Yami's table, waiting to see if Yugi might recognize him.

Busy writing another order down on his small notepad, Yugi barely looked up until he reached the place where Yami was seated.  Letting out a quick sigh as he brushed a golden bang out of his face, he smiled brightly as he looked up to greet his next customer, placing the notepad back in his pocket.

"Hi!  My name is Yugi, and-"

The shorter teen stopped mid-sentence as he noticed whom he was talking to.  Remembering him as the customer from a few days ago, Yugi's expression brightened into a true smile as he greeted Yami like an old friend.

"Well, hey!  Good to see you again!  How are you doing?" he asked excitedly, staring at Yami.

Yami's smile widened.  "Not too bad, I suppose," he said, shrugging.  He was a bit surprised at how easily the words came flowing out of his mouth – he was usually very distant or sarcastic with most people, save perhaps Joey and a few other close friends.  But for some reason Yugi's charming nature was disarming – so much, in fact, that he found himself introducing himself to the teen before he knew it.

"Hi – my name's Yami," he said calmly, offering a handshake out to Yugi.  Smiling even more, the young server grasped his hand appreciatively.  

"Nice to meet you – again."

Yami laughed lightly.  "Yes, same here."  Hesitatingly, he let go of Yugi's hand as the server reached back into his pocket to retrieve his notebook.

"Well, Yami, what will you be having today?"

Blinking, the taller teen suddenly realized that he hadn't given it much thought.  All he had really thought about on his way here was seeing Yugi again, and now that they had introduced themselves, he felt a little uncomfortable about sending the teen off to fetch him some food.  Improvising quickly, he asked, "Well, what do _you_ think I should have?"

Yugi chuckled.  "Doesn't matter to me, Yami – just as long as you don't go about ordering a whole roasted chicken – I don't know if the cooks could handle that, let alone myself."

"Oh, great – that just what I was planning on having, too," Yami replied with a wink.  "Though, I suppose if Joey were here again, then you _would_ have something to worry about."  

"Oh, is that the other person that was with you last time?"

"Yeah – better watch out for him if he ever comes in here alone," Yami warned, giving the teen a knowing look.  "He has a bottomless pit for a stomach – fact, I don't know how his mom manages to keep him sated all the time.  But really, he's a good guy – he just gets a little overexcited sometimes."

Yugi laughed knowingly.  "I know what you mean.  Though, most of the examples I've come across can't seem to keep the weight off, unlike your friend Joey."  He gestured over to one particularly wide table, where a large customer (to put it nicely) seemed to have ordered a 7-course meal.  Three more servers appeared from the kitchen, placing plates upon plates of food before him while the man drooled onto the napkin he had tucked into his shirt.  Seeing Yami shudder a little, Yugi laughed even more as he flipped to a new page in his notepad.  "So really – what'll it be?"

Waving his hand indifferently, he handed Yugi the menu.  "Soup is fine – whatever you'd recommend."

"That's all?" Yugi asked, trying to see if he could coax anything else out of him.  "Just soup?"

"Yeah – if it's not too much trouble."

"No, not at all," Yugi replied as he jotted a reminder down on a fresh page.  "It shouldn't take too long – I'll be back in a few minutes, 'k?"

Nodding, Yami watched as Yugi walked away, first to another table to take their order, then to the kitchen once again.  As the teen disappeared from sight, Yami looked down at his own hand, recalling the friendly handshake between them.  Yugi's skin was so soft and warm; it reminded him of the petals of the most delicate flowers.  [I wonder what it must be like to kiss him – woah, wait a minute, what am I thinking?] he asked himself, stunned.  [I just met this guy!  It was just a handshake, and already I'm getting these ideas?  Damn hormones.]

Luckily for Yami, Yugi returned before he could continue his personal mental analysis.  Quickly serving the tables around him, the teen finally made his way back to Yami, placing a large bowl of soup in front of him.  Pushing another golden bang out of his face tiredly, Yugi stood there, exhausted but cheerful nonetheless.  "How is it?" he inquired as Yami took an experimental spoonful.  Nodding with approval, Yami finished swallowing before speaking up, hoping Yugi might stay a little longer.

"You look tired – why don't you have a seat?" Yami asked, gesturing to the empty chair across from him.  Yugi blinked, looking at him briefly as if he'd never been asked such a question before.  "Well…" he trailed off, looking around at his other customers.  Seeing that they all seemed to be eating contently, Yugi shrugged as he pulled out the chair, beaming at Yami with gratitude as he sat down.

"Thanks – it's been a long day."

"I can see that - when did you start working today?" Yami continued between mouthfuls, only taking his eyes off the spiky-haired teen when necessary so he didn't accidentally spill hot soup all over himself.

"Since we opened – 7:30 am."

"Oh?  And when do you get off?" 

"Around 10 p.m."

Yami's eyes widened with surprise.  "Did you just say 10 p.m.?" he asked incredulously.  Seeing Yugi nod, he shook his head.  "Jeez, how do you do it?"

The server merely shrugged.  "I usually don't help open, but today we were short-handed for some reason.  But hey, money's always a good thing, isn't it?"

"What about school and classes?" Yami replied as he quirked an eyebrow.  "How can you possibly manage to balance both?"

"Well, that's easy – I'm not in school."  Yugi sighed as he saw Yami's blank expression.

"See, I live with my grandpa," he began, folding his hands on the table.  "I was going to school for a while, until a few years ago he contracted a severe and potentially deadly virus.  He was treated, and everything was fine – until he was released from the hospital; that's when the bills started showing up.  Grandpa's crippled now, and can't do any work besides busy stuff around the house, and the insurance company never covered all the expenses.  So, I went out and got a job."

Yami lowered his eyes, apologetically.  "I'm sorry," he said quietly.  Instead of being upset, though, Yugi still smiled.

"Heh – don't apologize!  You didn't know; that's why you asked.  Besides, I'm still managing to keep pace – I've never been more glad for on-line and night classes."

Yami looked back up, a seriousness in his eyes.  "Do you have any days off this week?"

Yugi nodded.  "Thursday, yeah.  Why?"

"You can come to school with me that day if you want," he replied, trying to look nonchalant about it.  "You know, like a visitor or something.  That is, if you're not busy doing other things."

Yugi beamed.  "That sounds awesome, Yami!  Are you sure that it wouldn't be a problem?"

"Nah – your grandfather just needs to write you a note, so I can show the principal that you have permission to be there, and that you're not some sort of escapee from prison or something."  His heart fluttered inside his chest as he heard Yugi's melodious laughter.

"Yeah, I can get a note.  Are you sure it's all right with you?  I mean, you hardly even know me!" Yugi asked, still chuckling a little.

[Yeah, but I'd love to get to know you better, Yugi, I really would.]  "Yeah, it's fine – don't worry about it, Yugi," he replied, waving it off.

Yugi continued to smile as he looked around briefly, finally spotting the notepad sitting next to Yami.  "Can I see that?" he inquired, pointing to the book as Yami looked up.

"Huh?  Oh, yeah, sure."  Yami quickly grabbed the notepad, though he handed it over a little hesitatingly.  "There's not much in there – just a couple of drawings for an assignment, and none of them are worth looking at."

"Are you kidding?" Yugi asked incredulously as he opened the spiral-bound sketchbook and turned the page to the first drawing.  "These are wonderful!"

Yami grinned skeptically.  "Ok, what are you on, and where can I get some?"

"No, seriously Yami, these are great!  I wish I had this sort of talent for drawing; you're awesome!" the other exclaimed as he continued flipping through the pages, looking at every sketch.  Yami continued grinning, though a little sheepishly this time.  He still didn't believe that his work was very good, but Yugi's praise was more than enough to keep him happy for the rest of the day.  As he started thinking again about the boy sitting across from him, and admiring his features, Yami became distracted by a couple of small noises from somewhere in the restaurant.

Hearing some slight giggling to his left, Yami turned slightly towards the source.  Across the aisle and slightly ahead of him was a booth with four excited girls staring back at the two of them, whispering and laughing happily.  Raising an eyebrow, he watched them curiously as the blonde was scribbling furiously in a notebook, while the brown-haired girl sitting next to her seemed to be looking for something in her bag.  A third kept changing her gaze between him and the sketchpad in front of her, also scribbling, and the fourth, who looked to be the last girl's twin, seemed to be the only sane one, as she was simply sitting there, eating her meal.  Slightly confused as to what seemed to have caught Yami's curiosity, Yugi turned around to see as well, earning another squeal of delight from the table for some strange, odd reason.  Smiling, Yugi turned back to Yami, waving it off.

"Heh, don't worry about them – they're harmless."

"You know them?" Yami asked, a little nervous from their behavior.

"Well, not exactly," he started, smiling as he put down the notebook, "but they stop by every so often.  Weird?  Yes, but at least they don't chase customers away."

"Speaking of annoying girls…" Yami began, leaning over to whisper to Yugi confidentially.  "Um, you wouldn't happen to know if there was another entrance in here, like a side door or something?"

Yugi chuckled, whispering as well.  "You mean, so you can avoid being mobbed by Anzu?"

"How'd you guess," the taller teen remarked sarcastically.

"You wouldn't believe how many times I've been asked that question," Yugi sighed, shaking his head.  "Anyway, there's a door on the other side of the building that you can use, though you might not be served right away since it's really not an official entrance.  But our regulars use it pretty often, so I don't see why you can't either.  You could also try coming during her break hours, but you'd have to ask her what those are yourself – and judging from the look on your face," Yugi continued, smiling amusedly at the sick expression Yami wore, "you don't want to go anywhere near her, so that's out of the question."

There was a slight pause in the conversation now, as Yami debated whether to ask Yugi his next question or not.  [Oh, hell – just go with it.]

"Hey, by the way," he started, trying to remain calm, "do you ever go on break?"

Yugi looked at Yami, a little perplexed.  "Yeah, sure – why?"

Yami shrugged.  "Well, I was just wondering if you'd like to hang out then."  Yami had to hold himself still as Yugi's face lit up, his sparkling eyes dancing with happiness at the offer – it made him very beautiful.

"Yeah, sure, that sounds awesome!  When do you get out of classes?"

"About two o'clock."

"2:30, then!  My boss is usually flexible with break hours; as long as someone's on to serve, it should be fine."

"Yugi Muoto, get back to work!" a harsh voice came yelling through the crowd, causing the shorter teen to wince lightly.  Yami had a sudden impulse to go punch the guy that was bothering the two of them, but upon noticing that the person happened to be the manager of the restaurant, he figured it wouldn't be a good idea to get Yugi fired.  

"I guess that's my cue.  See you around!" Yugi said to Yami quickly before getting up, eager to get back to work and calm his supervisor down.  However, his chair had other ideas – as Yugi went to leave, his feet suddenly got tangled up in the legs of the chair, effectively tripping him as he started falling towards the floor, face first.

Quick as a flash, Yami got up from his seat, catching Yugi before he got a face full of wood paneling.  Only half-aware of what he had just done, Yami blinked as he looked down at the shorter teen; his arms held Yugi securely around the boy's middle, while his head was somewhat propped against Yami's chest.  The taller of the two fought to keep a rising blush down as Yugi used his arms for balance while he managed to stand up properly.  Now on two legs and away from anything he could trip over, he looked up to thank Yami, only to stop for some unknown reason.  Ignoring the strange behavior, Yami took the opportunity to get a better look at the amethyst-eyed beauty in his arms.  

Who knew that such handsome features even existed?  Yugi's skin was pale and petal soft, his hair gleaming in the sunlight.  But it was his eyes that held Yami's attention most of all, those deep, never-ending pools of sparkling violet.  [If a person's eyes are indeed the windows to the soul, then Yugi must have the soul of an angel,] he thought with wonder.  Still only half aware, the teen leaned his head down, asking quietly, "Yugi, are you ok?"  Yugi nodded slightly, barely making out the words 'Thank you' as the other moved a little bit closer.

Suddenly, the moment was broken by a bright flash of light and a flurry of giggles.  Both of them confused, the two boys looked over to see the four girls from before, staring back at them.  Apparently the brunette had found what she was looking for earlier, as she held a camera in her hand, eagerly pointed at them.  As the three remaining girls 'awww'ed with delight, Yami could feel himself blushing again from embarrassment.  Unfortunately, this only seemed to gain him more attention as the spectators resumed their giggling and picture taking, while some of the other customers turned away from their dinners to see what was going on.  Letting go of Yugi quickly, Yami began coughing uncontrollably.  Blinking, the server resumed his usual attitude as he inquired half-jokingly, "Hey Yami, are _you ok?  Don't die on me now; you'll drive all the customers away!"_

Finishing up a cough, Yami nodded quietly.  The entire situation had made him slightly nervous, causing his throat to constrict.  But seeing Yugi's concern for him made him forget everything as he smiled reassuringly.  "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Ok.  Well, I need to go now," Yugi started, a hint of emotion in his voice which Yami couldn't make out.  "See you later though, right?"

Yami nodded.  "Of course."

"Great!  See you around, then!"  

Yami stood still as he watched Yugi retreating back into the kitchen, a smile still gracing his face.

[See you around.]

************************************************************************

…ok, ok, I couldn't resist…those four girls at the table?  All fanfiction writers.  Starting with the first one, the order is Wolfspeaker, myself (Merodi no Yami), Ko-chan, and Ya-chan.  Of course, Ya-chan is Ko-chan's yami, and doesn't have a separate account on ff.net, but she's still really cool.  Hey, it's fun to be an insane fan-girl every once in a while, don't'cha think?  ^_^;


	7. Part II Anything But Ordinary

_Sorry – long authoress notes again.  Don't want to read, just skip to the story._

Wow.  It's been a while, hasn't it?  -_-;  I'm ashamed, really – I can't believe I went this long without updating.  In fact, I noticed one or two people took me off their favorites list, since I haven't posted anything in so long.  T_T  I'm so sorry people – it's this whole college thing; I have a bad habit of trying to take too many classes at once.  *sigh*

But on a brighter note, one of the reasons I haven't updated in a while is because I am currently constructing a Y/Y web site for all you lovely people to enjoy!  Hasn't been published yet – I still need to add a few pages, but at least it's something I can make progress on when I've got 5 minutes to spare, as opposed to writing.  So please bear with me!

Ok, now that that's settled, I have a few announcements.  

#1 – THANK YOU, EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED!!  I LOVE YOU ALL!!  ^_^  And yes, I know it isn't exactly a one-shot, people -- ha-ha.  If it really bothers some of you, I can take it out of here and make it a short fic on its own…sorry to report, but there's actually one more chapter after this.  I was going to try to make this a 20-page chapter, but decided against it.  So, thank yous go out to the following people:

Li

Ko-chan to Ya-chan

Wolfspeaker1

Mittens no Hikari

Yami/Yugi's tenshi, britt0289

Lily Maxwell The Dark Angel

Himoko Yatsumi

SoulDreamer

Yasha  (Wow, Germany!  Going international now! I've been there, actually – visited Rothenburg, was very cool)

Evil Chibi Malik 

Mikomi Rae

shitsumon

Cherry-San

Junko the Lost

Hime no Ichigo

ChaosDragon013

metallicbubbles

The Chaotic Ones

Mel Gods

…I think that's it.  O_O  Wow, thanks guys.  I really appreciate it.  ^_^_^_^

#2 – It's Wolfspeaker's birthday today!!  YAY!!  I do have a fanfic present for you, but like everything else, it's a little behind, so you get to enjoy this today instead.  ^_^;  Hope you got my present!  (Everyone else – I'm sorry, but I don't know when your birthdays are!  T_T)

#3 – Contest results!! 

 Ok, I realize it's late, but we have the winners of my Fic-Renaming Contest!  And guess what?  It's a tie!  Two people actually came up with the same title.  So, please give a big round of applause to Yami Yami Yugi and Wolfspeaker for both coming up with 'The Shadow of Darkness'!  ^_^  So, they get to pick from the following:

        a.) Fanart for story of choice

        b.) Supporting part in a one-shot fic (Y/Y, of course!!!  ^_^_^)

        c.) A "free commission" of a one-shot.

Please let me know what each of you want soon!  You know how long it takes me to post things….  ^_-

As for the rest of you who gave me titles, THANK YOU!!  I really liked a lot of them; you guys are creative!  I'm actually thinking about taking a few of the suggestions and using them for future stories – if I do, I promise I'll give credit and dedications where it's due!  Thanks again for helping me out!  

Ok, now on with the show! ---MnY

Disclaimer:  Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or Road Rovers (don't ask).  Any and all names are fictitious and any relation to actual persons is purely coincidental.  ^_^

[blah blah blah] – thinking

************************************************************************

**Part II – Anything But Ordinary**

[Well, this seems to be the address.  Course, it'd be just my luck to find out Yugi hates me by sending me to some crazed, psychotic killer's home.]

[What am I saying?  Yugi's not like that!  If anything, he's the sweetest, most beautiful, kind, and understanding person I've ever met.]

Yami stood in front of the standard, ochre-stained door, checking the slip of paper he held once again.  He couldn't exactly understand why he was so nervous, really.  Of course, he had only seen Yugi when visiting him during his break hours at Chivetta's, which happened to be every single day since they first met.  However, in the short time the two teens had together so far, they seemed to get along remarkably well.  Whether they were out wandering the city streets, playing a game of Duel Monsters, or just sitting and talking, Yami felt warm and alive simply by being near the shorter look-alike.  

Smiling, he looked back up at the door.  A whole day with his amethyst-eyed angel, at school.  This would be interesting.

*Ding dong*

"Eh, I'm coming, I'm coming.  Don't get your pants all in a bunch," a voice came from the other side of the door, sounding very un-Yugi like.  Blinking confusedly, his crimson eyes looked down slightly as the front door swung open, revealing a stout, short figure.  The person inside looked Yami over in surprise, leaning on his cane as he shook his head, his graying hair swaying in sinque.  He pulled out a pair of glasses from a pocket on his overalls, putting them on to look the teen over again.

"My God, Yugi – you've gotten taller!  And you've finally put a little more meat on your bones – good boy!" he said with surprise as he patted Yami's arm.  Realizing the old man's mistake, Yami tried to correct him – but to no avail.

"Uh, you misunderstand, sir – see, I'm-"

"Hey, wait a minute – your voice has changed too – I could've sworn you'd gone through puberty already.  Young man, you aren't dosing up on steroids, are you?"

"No sir.  You see, my name's Yami, and-"

"Yami?  What's a yami?  Dear God, Yugi – you haven't a joined a gang, have you?  What are they making you do over at that job of yours?  Are you drinking?"

"No, sir, I-"

"Then how do you explain those blood-shot eyes of yours, huh mister?"

"Um, my eyes have been like this from birth, sir."

"What?!  You've been drinking ever since you were a boy?!  Yugi, I'm sorry, but you are going to a rehab center, whether you like it or not!"

"But I'm not-"

"And what is that thing doing out in the middle of our street?"

"Um, that's my car, sir.  I drove here."

"AHA! Stealing TOO?  That's it, young man, you are GROUNDED for life – right after you return that thing!"

"Grandpa?  Why are you yelling?"

The two figures turned to look inside the house, startled by the new voice.  A short, spiky-haired figure had just reached the bottom step of the stairs, for once not wearing his usual restaurant attire as he smiled.  "Hey Yami!  Good morning!"

"Good morning, Yugi," the taller teen replied, grinning at the sight of the amethyst-eyed angel.  The old man blinked, quickly looking from Yami to Yugi and back again, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Yugi?" he asked helplessly, not exactly sure which one his grandson was.  Seeing his confusion, Yugi walked toward him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm here, grandpa."

"Well, then who in God's name is this?" he asked, bewildered as he pointed to the person in the doorway.

Yugi sighed slightly while chuckling, noting the boy's frustration.  "Grandpa, this is Yami – remember me telling you?  He's the friend I met at work?  He's gonna show me where he goes to school today – you said it was ok…." Yugi trailed off, waiting for some response from his grandfather.  Suddenly the old man "ohhhhhhhhhh"ed in recognition as he looked at Yami, nodding his head.

"Ah ha!  Yes, I remember now, Yugi.  So, you're Yami, huh?"

"Yes sir.  Nice to meet you."

"Likewise my boy, likewise – sorry for the mix-up," he replied while shaking the boy's hand firmly.  "It's the eyesight, you know – I've got these glasses and still can't do a damn thing with'm."

"Grandpa, where did you put the note I asked for?" 

"Oh, that!" he said as he turned to his grandson, breaking the handshake.  "Hold on, my boy, I'll go get it."

"Are you sure, Grandpa?  You could just tell me…."

"Now now, Yugi – don't worry, this old man still knows how to get around."  With that, he set his walking cane into action, moving at a fairly fast clip for someone his age as he hobbled into an adjacent room.  Yugi sighed and shook his head, before turning back to look at Yami.

"I'm sorry – Grandpa's a bit…out there," he stated, while Yami waved it off.

"Don't worry about it Yugi – it's fine, really.  Now you, on the other hand…."  He trailed off, causing the shorter youth to blink.

"What about me?"

Yami looked over his companion's choice of clothes for that day, a white dress shirt and black slacks.  "Yugi, this is school – not a court marshal," he remarked, smirking.  "You don't have to wear any of that stuff.  Regular street clothes are fine."  He tugged at his own clothes, a blood-red muscle shirt and black leather pants, for emphasis as the other person blinked.

"Really?" Yugi asked, genuinely surprised.  "Sorry, I didn't know – my old school had uniforms, so I didn't even think about it this morning.  Can you wait a minute or two while I go get changed?"

"Sure, Yugi," he replied, still smiling, "but you don't have to get changed if you don't want to – it doesn't matter to me."  [Seriously, you look good in anything.]

"Nah – I wear a uniform most of the week anyway; if I don't have to wear one now, I'm not going to!" Yugi said adamantly as he ran up the stairs once more, making quickly for his room.  A minute passed, and soon Yami spied Yugi's grandfather making his way toward him, an envelope in his hand.  

"Here you go, Yami – I suppose Yugi will be needing this if he's going to be out and about with you today," he said, handing the envelope to the teen.  

"Thank you, Mr. Motou."

"Please," the man said, holding up a hand, "call me Grandpa – 'Mr.'s and 'sir's make me feel old."

Yami chuckled appreciatively, nodding.  "Ok, Grandpa."

"Hey Yami, how's this?  Better?"  Yugi asked, having returned from his room as he waited on the bottom step for approval.  

If he hadn't been leaning against the wall, Yami would have fallen down in shock.  His eyes went slightly wide as he tried to hide his attraction to the boy in front of him.  Instead of uniform attire, Yugi now opted for a simple pair of dark blue jeans and a black t-shirt – however, with the way that the clothing accentuated his form, the teen looked both impressive and even more appealing.  Add to this a double belt and a few chains, and Yami had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

"Much better."  He nearly went through a relapse of shock as Yugi smiled, happy amethyst eyes staring back at him.  [Damn, he's hot.]

"Ok Grandpa," Yugi said, turning to the old man, "guess its time for us to go.  Do you need anything before we leave?"

"Don't worry about me, Yugi – you go have a fun time at school, ok?" Mr. Motou answered, smiling.  "Oh, wait, hold on, you forgot your good-bye kiss!"

"Grandpa!" Yugi exclaimed, annoyed and embarrassed as the old man gave him a kiss on the head, while Yami watched amusedly.  That amusement suddenly turned to panic as Mr. Motou turned to look at him, while Yugi furiously wiped his forehead where he had been smooched.

"Come here Yami – I must give Yugi's friend a good-bye kiss as well!" he exclaimed, opening his arms wide as Yami flattened himself against the wall, scared.

"Uh, no, Grandpa, that's ok," he replied nervously as Mr. Motou stopped and blinked, staring at the cowering figure while Yugi recovered and watched from the sidelines, amusedly.

He shrugged.  "Ok, I'll give you a big bear hug instead."  With that, Grandpa walked forward and hugged him, his seemingly frail arms quickly forcing all of the air out of Yami's lungs as the teen fought desperately for oxygen.

"No, no, wait!" he exclaimed as he felt his bones crunching under the strain of the hug.  Yugi now laughed outright at the scene, seeing Yami's eyes bugging out from their sockets as Mr. Motou continued to tighten his hug.  Panicking, Yami yelled, "Go back to the kissing, go back to the kissing!  Kiss me, KISS ME!"

Blinking upon hearing Yami's last plea for help, the old man suddenly let go, allowing the teen to fall to the floor in a crumpled heap.  Staring, Grandpa merely stated, "Don't be a weird boy," before saying goodbye once more, waddling back into the house with his trusty cane.  Still chuckling, Yugi helped Yami to his feet, practically dragging him outside.  As he closed the door, the student leaned against the stair rail, staring at his look-alike with disbelief.

"Do you need a cane, Yami?" the shorter boy asked amusedly, grinning as his friend gave him a glare.  "I'm sure Grandpa has a spare one lying around the house that you can use."

"I thought you said that man was crippled," the other stated, wincing as he stood up straight.

"Yeah, but I never said he was bed-ridden, now did I?"

Yami sighed, shaking his head.  "True.  Anyway, we'd better get going if we don't want to be late – I don't think I can afford to show up late to homeroom anymore."  He let out a small exclamation as he straightened his back fully, the several cracks audible even to Yugi, who raised an eyebrow in concern.

"Yami, seriously, are you ok?  Grandpa has been known to hurt people unintentionally…."

"No, I'm fine, really – go on, get in the car," Yami replied.  Now standing up straight, he walked down the steps and around the car to open the driver's side door, while Yugi got in on the other side.  "Seatbelts on?" he asked as he pushed the car key into the ignition.  Seeing a nod from Yugi, he smiled, started the car and hit the gas.

"Here we go."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Well, I suppose this is all in order.  I hope you have a good time visiting us today, Yugi."  The principal smiled at the two look-alikes, handing the note back to Yami.  "You informed your teachers, Mr. Kurai?"

"Yes sir," Yami replied.

"Ok.  Well, you'd best be off, both of you – the bell's going to ring in about five minutes."

"Thank you, Mr. Fergeson.  Have a nice day!" Yami called as he turned to depart, Yugi in hand and in tow.

"You too, Yami.  Nice to see you, Yugi!"

"Bye!"  Yugi managed to get out before being tugged out the door.  "Hey Yami, wait up!"  

Yami chuckled as the shorter boy ran briefly to meet his own pace, exiting the office and heading up the stairs.  As the two teens walked down the hallway, he looked to see Yugi's reaction.  The boy's eyes had gone slightly wide, taking in his surroundings and the number of students present – it was like a jungle as lockers sprang up on either side of the hallway like trees, students weaving and dodging to get to where they were going.  Yami couldn't help but chuckle a little at Yugi's expression, causing the other to look at him curiously.

"What?  What is it now?"

He shook his head.  "Nothing, Yugi – it's just that it looks like you've never been inside a school before."  He watched as his companion smiled, shrugging slightly.

"Like I said, I used to go to a private school – teachers led us to our classes, and there definitely weren't as many people there as there are here!"

Yami nodded.  "Come on, this is our homeroom," he said, beckoning Yugi into a room on their left.  

The room was, to Yami, your typical, standard classroom.  The entire place a drab, off-white color, he passed the black chalkboard in the front to lead Yugi down one of the many aisles of desks.  The homeroom being half-empty, their shoes made slight noises against the tile floor as other students either slept, read, or were trying to finish their first-period homework in vain.  The teacher in charge also taught English in this room, so several projects, papers, and poems lined the walls, as if daring students to do anything other than the subject at hand.  To Yami it all seemed bleak as he sat down, the only saving grace being the sunlight that came streaming through the windows at all times of the day.  However, Yugi found it very intriguing as he wandered the perimeter of the room, reading the things that students had written over the years with interest.  Once he had given the place a good looking-over, he walked back to where Yami sat in the back of the room, not knowing what to do next.

"You're going to have to sit behind me," the taller one stated as he gestured to a desk directly in back of him.  "In other classes it won't matter, but Mrs. Dublonski is a stickler for attendance and assigned seats."

Yugi shrugged.  "That's fine," he said, sliding into the desk-chair unit as Yami turned around to talk to him.  "Is this where you have English?"

"God no," Yami exclaimed as he chuckled slightly.  "Luckily, I don't – she's one of the more notorious teachers in the school.  Did you want to see my schedule?" he inquired.

"Sure," Yugi replied cheerfully as the taller boy went rooting through his backpack, shifting papers around until he finally found what he was looking for.  Pulling out a yellow folder, he opened it up on Yugi's desk and removed a single page from it.  

"Here," he said, handing the paper over, "this is it.  Today is Day Four, so everything listed underneath that is what we'll be going to today."

"Day Four?" Yugi asked, confused.  "Why do you have different numbered days?"

He shrugged.  "Typical rotating schedule.  I have no idea why they do it – probably just to confuse us.  But that's High School for you."

Yugi nodded, looking over the paper as Yami put his things back in his backpack.  The crimson-eyed teen had almost finished when he heard a familiar voice entering the classroom.

"Yeah, I'm tellin' ya, Tristan, that guy needs a real dose of reality.  I mean, really!  How does that guy expect us ta finish a five-page report ovanight?"

Yami looked up towards the door as Joey waltzed in, closely followed by a taller, brown haired student as they blindly walked towards their seats, still discussing.

"Well, Joey," Tristan replied as he rolled his eyes, "maybe if you hadn't waited until last night to do it and started when it had been assigned a week ago, you wouldn't have had this problem."

"Ehh, details, details, my friend.  The point is, that kind of mindless writing doesn't do a thing for us, right Yami?" Joey asked as he turned to look at his best friend.  Yami shook his head.  No matter what the assignment, there were always two things he could count on during the school year.  One, that Joey would always be complaining about schoolwork, and two, that he would never get it done on time.

"By the way, Joey, did you remember to finish that 12-page thesis paper Miss Cook assigned us?" he asked, trying to keep a straight face as Joey's eyes bugged from their sockets.  Soon the lanky blonde had gone into a frenzy; papers flew everywhere as the boy quickly sat down, furiously looking for a pen or pencil to start the impossible assignment.

"Jeez, Yami, why didn't you call me last night?!  I am so dead!" he exclaimed, while Tristan laughed amusedly.  "Quick," the blonde said, turning to Yami, "what was the topic?  The assignment?  The intro statement?  Well?  STOP STARING AND HELP ME OUT HERE!"

Yami simply sat there, a cocky grin pasted to his face.

"Joey, you idiot," Tristan replied, laughing the entire time, "that paper isn't due until next month!  Yami's joshin' ya!"

Realization dawned on Joey's face, as the blonde's eyes narrowed with annoyance.  "Yami!" he yelled, pointing an angry finger at the smirking teen across from him.  "After school today, you are dead!  I don't care if you-"

Joey caught himself, suddenly noticing that there were two Yamis, one sitting behind the other.  Blinking, he pointed to the other one, confused.

"Eh…who're you?" he asked as the double smiled.  Before the shorter teen could say anything in response, however, Joey eyes widened with recognition.  "Wait!  I know you!  You're dat kid from da restaurant, Yogi!"

The boy chuckled as Yami slapped a hand to his head, sighing loudly.  "You're close – it's Yugi," the shorter teen stated, offering a handshake to Yami's friend.  "Nice to see you again, Joey!"

"Eh?  Oh, right – sorry about dat, Yugi – my bad."

"That's alright.  Nice to meet you too, Tristan."

"Likewise," the brunette said, holding up a hand in greeting.  "So what brings you here, Yugi?  You a new student or something?"

"Not exactly.  I work at Chivetta's and really don't have time to go to school – but Yami here offered to show me around today," he said brightly, not noticing Yami's slight blush.  Joey, however, did, as he leaned over his desk to lightly punch his friend in the arm.

"Ah ha!  So, Yami, dis was all _your_ idea!  Wasn't dat thoughtful!  But why didn't'cha say somethin'?  We could've all had a sleepover at Kaiba's afterwards, _Yami_."  He grinned as the teen, slightly red from what Joey was implying, stared at him with a slightly annoyed look.

"Joey, shut your mouth.  NOW."  

Luckily the bell rung just as he finished his statement, ending all conversations and curious looks as the homeroom teacher walked in to began attendance.  While most of the class slept through announcements, Yami finished putting the rest of his papers and books back in his backpack.  Soon the bell rang again, signaling the beginning of the four minutes students had to get to their first class of the day.  As everyone stood up, he turned around and looked at violet-eyed teen, who seemed slightly excited.  

"So Yugi, are you ready to go?"

Yugi smiled back.  "Lead the way…uh, where are we going, again?" 

"Chemistry," Yami said, grinning.  "With Mr. Roberts.  Let's just hope Joey doesn't try blowing up the classroom like he did last week."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ok, let's get started, class.  Today we're going to start drawing human studies, so I need you to partner up and get some paper and pencils.  Sit across or at an angle from each other, and start drawing the other person.  Got it?  Ok, get to it."

With that, Mrs. Crouse left for the teacher's lounge while the Aide watched over the class, the students left to their work and their own devices, for the most part.  Yugi stared as Yami put a piece of paper and pencil in front of him, the two of them deciding to partner up for the class.

"Is something wrong?" the taller teen asked.  Yugi finally looked up from the paper, staring at his friend with skepticism.

"Drawing?  You want me to draw?" he asked, slightly nervous.

Yami shrugged.  "Sure – why not?  There's nothing to worry about – _you're_ not going to get graded on it, remember?"

"Yeah, I know that – it's just the public embarrassment that bothers me."

The taller teen laughed as he shook his head.  "Yugi, no one's going to care if you can draw or not.  Half the people in here have no talent at all, myself included.  You don't have to draw me either, since you're visiting – draw whatever you want."

Yugi shrugged as the other sat down across from him, both drawing boards at the ready.  As Yami began his outline, he noticed Yugi's face suddenly light up as he grabbed his pencil and quickly put it to paper.  Ten seconds later, he put the pencil back down, beaming at him from across the table.

"Finished," he stated, looking at Yami with a mischievous grin as the other teen stared back at him, disbelieving.

"What?  Let me see that," he said as Yugi detached the paper from the board, holding it up for Yami's perusal from across the table.

Yami laughed appreciatively as soon as he saw Yugi's drawing, a stick-figure with pointy hair.  "Wow, that's great – I think you've really captured the true me," he said jokingly, as Yugi began laughing as well.  "But I'm not really that anorexic, am I?"

Yugi shook his head, smiling.  "Of course not, Yami – you're perfect."

Yami looked up from the drawing, laughter subsiding as Yugi's comment registered in his head.  Instead of saying anything more, though, the boy went back to his drawing, now intensely working on something else.  The crimson-eyed teen continued to stare at his partner a little longer, admiring the soft, silky texture and color of his hair before thoughtfully going back to his own work, the two of them remaining silent for the rest of the period.  As the class prepared to leave, however, Yami quickly scooped up the first drawing Yugi had made, insisting to the boy that it was so incredible that he had to save it and would, in fact, stare at it every night before going to bed in order to better admire his own features - causing Yugi to laugh hysterically as they walked down the hallway.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Well, Yugi?  What do you think of high school?" Yami asked as they wandered the empty corridors.  School had ended for the day, and the two boys decided to take their time in leaving.  After their classes, Yami took Yugi to see some of the other rooms that they had missed, like the gym and the auditorium.  Now, they were back in the main hallway, walking back to Yami's locker to get some things before heading outside.

"Makes me think about robbing a bank so I can quit my job and go back to school."  Yugi smiled as the pair stopped.  Turning to the right, Yami reached up to turn the combination on his lock as his friend continued.  "Really, Yami, thank you for showing me your school today – this was a lot of fun!"

"Yeah, well, it was fun only because you were here," came the reply.  "Most days, school is defined as the fifth circle of hell in my book, but today was an exception."  

A few moments of silence followed, when suddenly the boy slammed the door of his locker with a fist; the loud, metallic sound echoed down the hallway as he yelled with frustration.  [That's the fifth time I'm tried that combination, and it's still not opening!  Dammit, why do they always give short people the higher lockers?!  If I had a crowbar, why I'd-]

"What's wrong?"  Yugi asked, interrupting his train of thought.  Calming down, Yami looked at the teen beside him.

"My locker won't open, and I can't see up high enough to figure out what's wrong," he admitted, giving the metal box slightly above him a look of death.  [A machete would be nice about now, too….]

"Help me up."

"Huh?"  Yami turned to look at Yugi, bewildered.  "Whatever for?"

"So I can open your locker for you.  Maybe you're not getting the right angle on it when you're trying to open the lock."  

Yami blinked.  "Ok, worth a shot," he replied, shrugging.  Kneeling down, he waited as Yugi proceeded to sit on his shoulders, his head between Yugi's legs.  He blushed furiously at the thought, violently shoving not-so-proper ideas out of his head as he grabbed the boy by the ankles to make sure he didn't fall.  Now standing and facing the locker once again, Yami tried looking up at the boy above him, who was now easily able to open his locker.

"Combination?"

"26-35-14," he replied, watching Yugi's delicate fingers turn the lock with ease.  Apparently the boy was right, as a reassuring 'click' met Yami's ears right after the first try.  Pulling the door open, Yugi stuck his head inside, asking, "Ok, what do you need?"

"Um, Calculus and Chemistry.  I think that's it."  Yugi rummaged through his locker for a few seconds, before gasping as he pulled the two books out.  

"Here you go," Yugi replied, his voice slightly strained as he handed the books down to Yami carefully.  "Wow, those things are heavy."

"Thanks, Yugi.  You want to get down now?"

"Naw, I kinda like it up here.  Makes me feel taller."

Yami smiled, chuckling lightly from amusement and understanding – though he was taller than Yugi by about a hand's length, he was still considered short among the general population.  Tightening his grip on Yugi's legs, Yami turned and started walking down the hallway.

"Well, all we have to do now is find Joey – then we can get out of here."

"What was that?"  Yugi asked.  Leaning his head down so that it hovered next to Yami's, Yugi placed his hands on the teen's head, lacing his fingers through his wild hair to keep his stability.  "Sorry, what did you say?  I didn't hear you."

Yami blinked as he realized the sudden proximity between them.  It took everything he had to stop himself from blushing profusely, or sighing, or groaning with pleasure – even keeping his legs moving him towards the main doors was a horrible, strenuous task, as Yugi unconsciously started playing with his hair.  "Uh, um, I said we're looking for Joey.  I think."

"Oh, ok!"

Finally arriving at the large double doors, Yami swung the door open, being careful not to hit Yugi by accident as he ducked to go through the frame and outside.  As he continued walking, he was soon able to see Joey hanging out by his car, waiting 'somewhat' patiently.  The blonde turned his head to see the duo make their approach, and smiled.

"Hey, finally!" he yelled, waving.  "'S about time, Yami!  Whereya been?"

"We had some problems with my locker again.  I swear, one of these days I'm going to take a blowtorch to it."

Joey chuckled.  "Yeah, well, come on!  We gotta get goin'!"

Yami sighed slightly, looking up at Yugi.  Joey was right, they had to be going – though he'd much rather spend the rest of the day with the beautiful, petite boy on his shoulders like he was now, still caressing his hair…or better yet, to hold the teen in his arms and never let go….

"Ok, Yugi, you heard the man – you've got to get down so I can drive you both home."

"Aw, why should I?" Yugi replied, smiling.  "I've got this wonderful car right here…the Yami model 118 – it follows my every direction…."

"Ha ha, very funny."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Well, here we are," Yami stated as he parked the car in front of Yugi's house.  The three occupants turned to stare at the blue-shuttered house briefly.  Crimson eyes watched with a tinge of sadness as the boy next to him unbuckled his seatbelt and began to get out of the vehicle.

[Quick, say something.]

[Hah, right.]

[Come on, do it!  Before he leaves!]

"Yugi, wait."

Making a quick decision, Yami released himself from his seat and jumped around the side of the car.  Looking up, he saw the teen had stopped his progression up the steps to his home, and was now waiting patiently with inquisitive eyes.  

"Yes?  What is it, Yami?"

"Er, ah, you're just going to go without saying goodbye?"

Smiling, Yugi stepped back down the stairs and walked back to stand in front of Yami.  "Eh heh, sorry about that!  I was just thinking ahead, about all the things I have to do tomorrow."

"I'm sorry – did we take too much time?"

"No, no!  I had a great time, really!  Thanks for taking me to classes with you, Yami.  I really appreciate it."

"Not a problem.  It was fun having you there," Yami replied, as a slight tinge of pink spread across his cheeks.  Once again he found himself staring at the handsome form before him, enjoying everything, before realizing that the boy seemed a little hesitant about something.

"Yugi?  What is it?"

Without warning, the boy rushed forward and hugged him around his middle.  Eyes slightly wide, Yami looked down with shock at the form that clung to him.

"Thank you, Yami," came a soft voice, a little more serious.

Relaxing, the taller teen nodded with understanding.  As much as he hated school, he'd rather not take classes by choice, as opposed to having them ripped away from him like Yugi did.  To miss out on a real education, to work without having had the chance to grow up; he had to admit, it didn't seem all that fun.

Quietly, his arms snaked around Yugi's delicate body, holding the teen close to him as he returned the hug.  He could hear Joey snickering behind him, but Yami didn't care.  Yugi had been through a lot, probably more if he was living with his grandpa; he needed this.  

The seconds continued to pass by, until the amethyst-eyed boy released his hold on his companion.  He scratched the back of his head nervously, backing away towards the house once again.

"Eh heh, sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it; I'll be seeing you around, right?"  Yami asked as Yugi began walking up the steps once more.  The shorter teen turned, smiling brightly.

"Of course," he said, causing Yami's heart to warm considerably.  Unfortunately, that warmth turned to a sudden chill as the door to Yugi's house burst open, revealing Yugi's slightly strange and disturbing Grandfather.

"Yami, my boy!  Wait, you need to give this old man a hug!" he exclaimed, passing his grandson as he hobbled down the steps with open arms.  Panicking, Yami tried to escape but stumbled into the side of his own car, soon finding himself caught in a death grip and writhing in pain.  Yugi, who smiled amusedly, walked back to where Joey sat, who looked utterly bewildered.

"Uh, do they do this often?"  

Yugi simply shot him a grin, before turning back to watch Yami's predicament.

"Oh, not often enough in my opinion."

************************************************************************

Well, I have two other chapters/fics to get out, so Part III may not be out right away – what a surprise.  -_-  However, if I get an overwhelming response in reviews, maybe I'll change my mind.  ^_-   

Thanks again – you guys are great!  Ja ne!  ^_^


	8. Part III Turning Point

* * *

A/N: Hah, I updated! Apologies can be found both in the Epilogue and the Authoress' notes at the bottom of the chapter. 

Disclaimer: Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Here's hoping Takahashi doesn't come and flog me for stealing one of the Shadow Game stories from his manga – at least the story is how it should have been, now. :P

* * *

**Part III – Turning Point**

Security Alert, Security Alert! Prisoner NP3228 has escaped! Proceed with emergency lockdown!

Hollow footsteps echoed down the hallway, the metal voice blaring like a siren.

Security Alert! Security Alert!

He chuckled lightly at the announcement. So much for their foolproof containment system. Maybe if they had left an experienced guard at his post, this would have been more of a challenge.

Prisoner NP3228 has escaped!

Was that his name? No. He had a real one once. But they had wiped that from his memory, along with everything else he knew. They thought it would subdue him. But in the end, it only made his hatred stronger.

Proceed with emergency lockdown! Security Alert! Securit-BAM-jhblkfjg…

He blew the smoke away from his gun, stopping to fancy the new hole where the intercom had once been. Smirking, the convict stepped over the once-commanding officer of the base, as he proceeded on his trek down the abandoned hallway. He walked out the door and into the free air, stopping to notice the crimson sunset in the distance with cruel amusement. It matched the blood-stained corridors perfectly.

Red had always been his favorite color.

* * *

"Our top story this afternoon - Kurenai Eimin has escaped. Reported this morning, the world-renown murderer of over 100 people managed to free himself from Federal Prison, supposedly after a security guard opened the door to deliver his meal. He has left 32 men dead as a result of his escape; police are still investigating. He is currently sentenced to solitary confinement, and is awaiting termination on Death Row."

Yami stared at the television, listening to the breaking news as they flashed scenes from the compound across the screen. The building itself looked disheveled, the stone walls covered in blood and blast marks, like some sort of cruel, sadistic mural of death. The massacre the broadcast was referring to happened when he was two years old, two states away from where he lived. Though the prison was only 50 miles out from town, the whole event felt removed from reality, almost as if it were in a different country altogether.

Letting his attention wander, Yami found his thoughts turning to dwell on better subjects, such as a certain amethyst-eyed angel of his. Almost two months had past since Yugi had come to school with him. Too long, in his opinion. But considering how much time they spent together after classes were over, it didn't really matter. Every day he found it harder to leave the boy's side, their adventures and escapades sometimes lasting until the wee hours of the morning.

He sighed as he picked up the TV remote.

[Yugi, what are you doing to me?]

He clicked off the television before getting up, walking over to the window as fluffy flakes of snow continued to descend from the gray sky above. Yami smiled as he remembered one of their more recent excursions – Yugi had gotten off work early, so the two of them had decided to walk around and admire the Christmas decorations that lined the streets of the city. Or rather, they _were_, until the shorter boy decided that Yami would look better with a couple of snowballs plastered to his head. Two hours later, both of them were cold and soaked to the bone - they grinned from ear to ear at each other, joking and laughing all the way home.

Yami shook his head. And to think that here it was, Christmas Eve, and Yugi had to work? What kind of present was that?! He tried to persuade the boy to take the day off, if not the whole week, but it was no use. Chivetta's was a new restaurant, and didn't know what business would be like during the holidays. Since they were probably going to be the ONLY restaurant open during Christmas, Yugi was pretty much stuck working for the entire season. Yami sighed as he leaned against the window, watching the snow pile up around the tacky, light-up Kris Kringle in the neighbor's front yard.

It was almost pathetic how much he missed him; with both close and distant relatives here for Christmas, Yami hasn't seen Yugi in days. He hated it with a passion. He didn't want all the commotion or merry-making – all he wanted was to sit near Yugi, the two of them alone, possibly cuddled by the fire place. His sighed heavily.

[I love him.]

Yami blinked. Where had that come from? He blushed slightly, shocked at the sudden realization. But it was true.

On reflection, Yami couldn't seem to get the image of Yugi out of his head. He never stopped thinking about him, and he found their encounters were starting to become much more personal and intimate. There was hardly anything that Yugi didn't know about him, and Yami was sure it could be said vice-versa as well. In that instant, the teen suddenly knew that, if given the chance, he would rather die than spend the rest of his life without Yugi.

Yami's heart became overwhelmed, both shocked and thrilled by such a revelation; it fluttered within his chest, excited as it was filled with longing for the boy who had captured it. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before. As he continued to think on Yugi, that same desire suddenly turned into a need, a need to tell him once and for all how much he loved him.

All else forgotten, he whirled around, grabbing his leather jacket before walking out into the sparkling fluff that lined the streets.

[Just wait, Yugi; just wait.]

* * *

"Hey Yami, how ya doin'?"

"Just fine, Steve. How are you?"

"Enh, wish I was home, instead of waiting on cranky customers. But that's kinda my own damn fault. At least we know for next year."

Yami shrugged as he looked around the restaurant, the walls practically drowning in red and green tinsel. Many of the knickknacks around the rooms had been taken down especially for the occasion; bright red sleighs and candy-cane street poles were placed in strategic spots, while fake presents and other decorations littered the room. The old guitar now sported an amusing attempt at gift wrapping, a big red bow on the upper fret board to complete the look. Even the old canoe, which hung from the ceiling, had a Santa Clause paddling away inside of it.

"Still, you seem to have a lot of customers."

Yami involuntarily shivered, as another couple entered the restaurant, letting a cold breeze in to pollute the warm atmosphere within the restaurant.

"True," Steve replied, as he ran a hand through his onyx hair. "It's not bustling, but enough to make a profit, I guess. Anyway, Yugi's over in section B right now – I assume that's why you're here?"

"Well, it certainly wouldn't be for the food – your stuff always did taste like road kill." He smirked at the young manager beside him. Steve smiled back, both of them well aware that since Yami had met Yugi, the former was probably Chivetta's most reliable customer.

"Yeah, yeah, quiet you. You're going to ruin my business."

"What business?"

The shorter teen grinned as the owner lightly punched him in the shoulder. "That's for blasphemy, dude."

"I'm sure. See you later Steve," he remarked as he turned around making his way over to see Yugi.

* * *

The blond-haired man stood in the heart of the city, slightly surprised. Had so much really changed since he last saw the free world? He walked down the streets, unheeded; the .45 Magnum concealed under his worn leather jacket sat at the ready – a 'parting gift' from one of the police officers he met earlier. He passed a homeless man on the sidewalk, kicking a boot load of snow at the shivering form as he passed. Despite the surprisingly new developments of the city, he was bored. The carols, the lights, the festive cheer as people walked about, enjoying the atmosphere or rushing to buy presents – it was happy. Too happy. So happy and gay that it disgusted Kurenai to no end. There was no excitement around here - he had tasted from Death's cup, and found it much more enjoyable. He looked around briefly, before spying a brightly-colored building, not three blocks from where he stood.

He gripped the gun under his coat, a plot and a threat growing in his mind.

Good thing he always had his weapons fully loaded.

* * *

"Yugi!"

Smiling at the sound of his name, the boy finished taking the last order from a young couple in the corner. As he turned around, his curious look morphed into a wide-eyed, happy expression as he saw his best friend walking towards him.

"Yami! What are you doing here?"

The approaching teen smiled, hands dug deep into the pockets of his faded, brown leather coat. His spirits lifted instantly, knowing that Yugi's happy expression was due to his arrival. Yami gave the server a pat on the shoulder for good measure.

"You were taking too long – I'm here to kidnap you."

Yugi laughed aloud, the elf cap he wore jingling with the motion. His face was full of merriment as he replied, "Oh, you are? Well, you'll never take me alive!"

Yami smirked. "We'll see about that, little fern-head."

"If I'm a fern-head, what are you – a porcupine?"

"That's harsh," he replied, his eyes twinkling.

"You're right – how could I say such a thing! Any porcupine has got to be better-looking than you."

"Ok, now I'm mad. You're going to get it, just you wait." Yami waved his fingers in front of the boy's face, grinning at the horrified reaction he received.

"You wouldn't!"

"Oh but I would," he purred good-naturedly. "Proclaim my greatness or I shall be forced to begin your torture."

"Yami, I'm on duty right now!"

"So?" He moved forward, like an animal stalking his prey, his eyes laughing at Yugi's predicament. Several customers had turned their heads to see what the commotion was about; they watched amusedly as Yugi found himself cornered against the side of a booth. Yami closed in a little more, then quickly struck out at the boy's sides. The attackee burst out laughing as he tried pitifully to stop his friend's assault, every attempt to block the attack leaving another spot wide open.

Pausing briefly, Yami looked at Yugi as he continued to laugh, a tear or two trailing down his cheek. Only he had the power to make Yugi's spirits lift like this, he knew – and he was forever grateful for it. Soon after they had gone to school together, he had stopped by the house again to visit. Though Yugi hadn't been home at the time, his grandfather had thanked him for befriending the boy. Apparently, between work and taking care of his grandfather, Yugi had little time for friends. With Yami's arrival into his life, Mr. Motou reported that his grandson's spirits had lifted dramatically, and that he was finally 'acting his age', instead of trying to play the role of an adult too early in life. Yami felt his heart once again swell with love for the boy, touched that Yugi would ever have needed him that much.

He smiled as Yugi gasped, finally recovering from the last attack. "So, what now?" the boy inquired, still plagued with small bouts of laughter.

Unfortunately for Yami, that 'swelling-of-the-heart' feeling was suddenly replaced by a much more urgent one.

"Uh, actually, I need to go to the bathroom real quick," he stated, almost a little sheepishly. "I'll be right back – same spot as usual ok?"

"Sure," Yugi replied, still chuckling. "Let me just tell Steve that I'm taking my break right now, 'k?"

Nodding, Yami watched as his friend went to talk to the resident manager, admiring Yugi's retreating form. Realizing what he was doing, he suddenly turned in the direction of the bathrooms and started walking towards them quickly, hoping that the blush that had risen on his face wasn't too noticeable to the rest of the customers (not to mention other things rising that he would rather keep unmentioned).

* * *

Anzu sighed as she stopped walking through the restaurant to look in a mirror. Adjusting her hair, she prayed that the end of the day came soon. Being a hostess was no easy task; between running errands, side work, and keeping track of the customers, her head felt ready to explode. Six hours down, two to go.

Pasting a smile onto her troubled face, she turned around and began walking back to her station. As she stepped up to the podium, the door chimed, signaling that someone had entered the restaurant.

"Hi, and welcome to Chivetta's! Are you here by yourself today?"

Anzu smiled with fake cheerfulness as the blonde man grunted a response.

"Wonderful! Where would you like to sit sir; smoking or non?"

"Go to hell."

"Wha?"

The room erupted in a collective scream as they heard the shot being fired. Half a second later, the hostess fell over backward, unmoving; her skin deathly pale as a small stream of smoke rose from her forehead. The other occupants froze from shock, the man letting the gun fall to his side.

"Anzu!"

Kurenai watched as a short, spiky-haired teenager rushed forward, obviously the first to recover. As he got a closer look at his colleague, however, he stopped short. The convict smirked. Yeah, a bullet to the head would do that. He looked down at his own shirt, splattered with blood.

Damn. That wasn't about to come out. He'd need a new shirt before the day was over. Too bad, too – he really liked that shirt. A lot.

He blinked and looked up, realizing that the server was still standing there, staring. Whether the teen was shaking with anger or fear, he couldn't tell. But that didn't matter – in any case, his thin, short stature would make him a great hostage.

Acting swiftly, the murder leapt over the cold, stiffening body on the floor, grabbing a shocked Yugi with his left arm. Bringing the gun up with his right, he started barking orders to the rest of the people staring at him apprehensively.

"Ok, listen up! I want all you fuckers on the ground now, ya hear? Do it, or the kid gets it!" He changed the grip he had on the server's waist, moving his arm into a stranglehold around Yugi's neck. As if to emphasize his point, he pressed the open barrel of the gun against the teen's face, the captive wincing from the pressure. "Didn't you shits hear me?" he yelled to the stunned crowd. "On the ground, NOW!"

The man smiled cruelly as he watched the people slowly lower themselves to the floor. Sounds of whimpering and muffled sobs could be heard from several of the women, while the men looked at him with a burning hatred. He loved seeing their terrified expressions, their fear and loathing mixing together in a contorted expression of pain. Oh, how he had missed this feeling of power, being able to make people bend to his will.

He smirked as he noticed a slight movement out of the corner of his eye. Some people just didn't know when to quit.

The customers screamed as another shot rang out. Steve winced, obviously biting back a large amount of pain as he grabbed his own arm in a vice-like grip. In a desperate attempt, the manager had gotten up, quickly moving in order to hopefully catch the convict off guard and disarm him. Unfortunately, Kurenai was faster; he looked down at Steve with slight amusement as the young man tried to stop the flow of blood.

"Damn; I missed," he remarked passively, putting the gun to Yugi's head once again. "Right, let that be a lesson to you all," he shouted, his voice deep and harsh. "Next time, I promise to have better aim."

Dragging the wide-eyed server, he moved forward, grabbing the keys Steve had dropped during his failed revolt. Once Kurenai finished locking the doors and ordered some customers to close the shades, everyone was herded into the main dining room. He had thought about tying all of the hostages up, but found it too opportune for someone to attack him – not to mention it'd take forever. Instead, he settled for restraining his primary captive and using the boy's life to keep everyone else in line. He dragged the teen over to a nearby booth, quickly picking up a cloth napkin and pulling it tight across his head, making for an effective blindfold.

"Now, sit," he commanded, pulling his sightless captive into the booth with him. "And if you even think about running off, I promise I'll give you a front-row seat as I blow your friends to bits, one-by-one. Got it?"

Kurenai smiled evilly as he watched Yugi nod ever so slightly, his head hanging with resignation.

"Good."

No one could stop him now.

* * *

Yami watched the proceedings from behind the alcove, his heart beating furiously.

[Someone should have paid more attention to the news today.]

[Shut up!] he mentally berated with himself – the last thing he needed right now was for his conscience to start making snide comments. What was he going to do? He turned around and leaned on the wall, staring blankly at the door in front of him. His mind raced, listening to the whimpers of scared bystanders in the other room. How on earth would he be able to get Yugi and the others out of there? Yami was pretty confident that he could take him in a fight, despite the convict's towering presence. However, the man had two advantages – one, he had a weapon, and two, he had Yugi prisoner. No experience he had with school bullies and street fights were going to help him here – at least not directly. There was nothing he could do – if he walked out there now to try and save his friend, they'd probably both be shot on sight; that is, once the bastard had gotten over the shock of seeing two 'Yugis' in the same room. There was no phone nearby, and the only doors he could reach without being seen led to the kitchen and bathroom. He was trapped.

Yami blinked as his vision refocused on the door in front of him. [Wait – the kitchen?] Suddenly an idea began to take form as he walked towards it, pushing the hinged piece of stained mahogany open to reveal the sparkling white interior. Walking quickly, he passed colonies of ovens and cutting tables until he reached a brown wooden cabinet. Grabbing the small brass knobs, he swung the doors open to take a look inside, a calculating smile appearing on his face.

* * *

Kurenai Eimin was not happy. Not happy at all. Sure, he had busted into the restaurant, popped a few heads, and managed to obtain a handful of hostages in the process. He had everyone trembling in fear of him, quivering on the floor in a small, huddled mass like the sniveling dogs they were. The convict sighed, twirling the gun around his trigger finger. This was just the problem. He much preferred it when he had some resistance from his captives. Not only did it give him an easy excuse to empty another clip, but he liked the sensation of imposing his will on others, playing God.

[Of course, there are a few perks in this business,] he thought. A small smile passed his lips as he turned his head to look at the boy sitting next to him, trembling slightly. Though he was male, he had a perfect complexion; with pale skin and a delicious thin form, the convict's thoughts abounded with pleasure. Besides, it would be a shame to kill such beauty and handsomeness before it could ever be used.

Grabbing Yugi's face, Kurenai pulled him close as he leaned over to whisper in his ear. The gun continued to wave in the air dangerously; the other captives anxiously watching the murmured, one-sided exchange. The captive teen seemed to be paling by the second as the man kept talking, the words like poison as he began to shake with fear and revulsion. When the convict closed in to grab the boy's mouth greedily with his own, however, he was greeted with a shock when Yugi managed to place a well-calculated bite on his nose. Howling in pain the man recoiled, attraction forgotten as he sneered at his hostage. In retribution, Yugi earned a punch to the head so hard, it could be heard on the other side of the room.

Infuriated and wincing with pain, Kurenai shouted, "Someone get me somethin' ta drink! Don't you bastards carry liquor or nothin'?" The convict's request was greeted with silence, nobody daring to speak up for fear of him. The man sighed with annoyance – once again, the only problem with intimidation was that it could work too well. He brought a hand to touch his nose, wincing from the throbbing pain. As he felt one or two drops of hot blood leak from where he was bitten, he calmly reached into his pocket. Pulling a handkerchief out and dabbing his nose, he placed the linen away before grabbing his gun and firing 5 rounds into the ceiling. Kurenai remained silent as he watched the canoe, which had been suspended in the air, suddenly came crashing down, barely missing several captives as they scrambled to get out of the way. Fresh sobs could be heard from the crowd as the man began to shout furiously. He grabbed Yugi once again, sticking the muzzle of the gun under the boy's chin. "Well?! Do you shits have any booze or not?!"

Yugi answered the man, his voice shaking slightly. "Y-yes…."

"Well then WHERE the fuck IS IT?!"

"Sorry to keep you waiting, sir."

Everyone's heads turned towards the sound of the new voice. For once, the convict had nothing to say, as he stared at the confident young man who stood in front of him. He was almost the spitting image of his captive, right down to the spiky, tri-colored hair. Kurenai's attention quickly shifted back to his captive as the teen suddenly shot up, yelling at the look-alike.

"Yami! What on earth are you doing?! Are you ok? Get out of here, you-"

"Quiet, you sonofa bitch!" Yugi suddenly slumped back down into his seat, as Kurenai cracked the butt of his Magnum over the boy's head. "Who do you think you are, ya little snot – the fuckin' Prince of Egypt? And you," he snarled, turning towards the double, "what kind of cheap trick is this supposed to be?"

Yami deliberately paused before replying. He could barely stand to see Yugi treated the way he was, furious that Kurenai dared to mess with his friend. The boy was currently slouched in his seat, looking somewhat limp – he couldn't see any blood from where he stood, but what if he had a concussion, or perhaps bleeding from the back of the head? If it wasn't for the gun, Yami would have punched the convict out hours ago. However, as Kurenai continued to play with the safety on the weapon, Yami forced himself to remain calm.

"No trick, sir. Honestly, it's mere coincidence."

Kurenai moved to say something, but stopped as Yami pulled out a bottle of Russian vodka and a pack of cigarettes, placing them on the table in front of him. The man looked at the liquor as Yami also pulled a shot glass from his pocket and placed it next to the bottle. Looking back up, he saw Yami standing silently with his hands clasped behind him, as if waiting on the man. Kurenai laughed aloud. "Well it's about damn time!" he shouted as he went for the bottle, unscrewing the cap with one hand as he pointed the gun at Yami with the other. "You know, I think maybe I'm starting to like this place." He gave a smug look; things finally seemed to be turning out the way they were supposed to be. "All you folks need is a little persuasion and I'm golden!"

The laughing stopped, however, as Yami sat down opposite him, propping both feet up on the corner of the table. He smirked as the man furrowed his brow, re-aiming his gun at him. "What the hell? Who said you could sit down, asshole?"

Yami's smirk widened in reply. "I just thought you might like to play a game to pass the time; that's all."

"Ok, I've got a game for ya – it's called 'Kill The Kid If You Don't Shut Up." Kurenai pointed the gun at Yugi again, as Yami fought to keep down his rising panic. "You two look almost identical – wanna see if your insides are the same as well?"

Staying calm, Yami lightly drummed his fingers on the table. "I was thinking of a game with higher stakes, actually. A match of wits; if you win, you get to kill me. Fair?"

The man let out a scoff. [I could kill him right now if I wanted. This kid is either insane or suicidal.] "Hah, nevermind that I'm armed and you're not; what happens if you win?"

"You let these people go and quietly hand yourself over to the authorities."

Kurenai burst out laughing, his whole frame trembling with laughter at the preposterous proposal. Him, give up? What kind of psychotic drugs was this kid on? There was no way he could lose – even if this freak got the upper hand, no matter what the game was, he was still the one with the Magnum .45 in his hand. "Sure, why not; you must sure have a death wish, kid."

Yami turned to look at Yugi one last time before they started. If things backfired on him, it would probably be the last time he saw his friend again. The boy was definitely conscious now, as the blindfold was becoming soaked with tears. Had Yugi heard everything then? To his surprise, the shorter teen suddenly shot up again, shouting.

"Yami, are you crazy?! What in God's name are you doing? I don't want you getting hurt; don't do this!" Forced to remain impassive, Yami watched as Yugi's knuckles turned white from gripping the table.

"Shut UP, you little prick – how many times do I have to tell you that, huh?" Kurenai muttered, grabbing a fistful of the server's shirt and yanking him back down. Weary of having to beat up his captive every 5 minutes, the man settled for a cuff about the head. "Next time you do that, I WILL shoot you – understand?" Seeing Yugi nod quietly, he turned back to Yami.

"So," he stated, grabbing the pack of cigarettes as he ripped it open. "You're in a hurry to die. Far be it from me to deny you that." He flipped the lid, pulling one of its contents from the box and sticking it in his mouth. His eyes never left the teen in front of him as he played with the gun's safety lock, idly. "What is this game; how we playin'?"

"It's simple. Both of us are only allowed to move one digit on our hand. Whoever kills the other player first wins." Several eavesdroppers gasped in unison at the statement, suddenly wondering about the sanity of this boy. The man had a gun – what was he thinking?

"No contest there, then – one twitch of my index finger, and you're finished." Noticing that the large shot glass was still empty, he reached for the vodka to pour himself a drink. "You've already lost, kid."

Yami stared back at him, impassive. "Fine, then – I choose my thumb. Once the game begins, we're allowed to do anything we like – you can even shoot me."

He paused. "The game starts…now."

Kurenai chuckled. "This is so easy, I almost feel sorry for you, kid. Almost," he repeated as he began pouring his drink. "Tell ya what – got any parting words before I send you to Hell?" Wordlessly, Yami dug into his pocket to produce a lighter. "Eh? What're you doin'?" The man watched as he flipped the metal cap with his thumb, scraping the miniature wheel against the flint as a small burst of flame shot forth.

"Care for a light?"

Kurenai grinned. [Hah, must be tryin' ta' sweet-talk his way out of this one. Fat chance.] He looked down at the cigarette that was still hanging in his mouth. [Then again, I could use a light; forgot they don't let us have cigs in prison.]

"Sure, why not? I'm a patient man; I can give you a few more moments before you die."

Yami leaned over the table carefully, sticking the flame under the cigarette in the man's mouth before placing it down. Bewildered, Kurenai looked where he had put it; his eyes widened as he saw the lighter sitting on the back of his own hand, the one which currently was holding the bottle of vodka, still pouring. His heart jumped as the shot glass was now overflowing, the alcohol spilling onto the table and soaking his clothes.

[I-I can't move! If I do-]

Yami stood in front of him now, smirking. "You do know that's 180 proof vodka, right? If you try to move, you'll drop that lighter for sure."

[No way, there's no way he can get away with this!]

"Come on Yugi," Yami stated, breathing a small sigh of relief as he pulled him out of the booth and away from the convict, holding him at his side. "We'd better get these people out of here."

As the two turned to leave, Kurenai suddenly snapped. Whirling around, the man roared at the top of his lungs, furious at the trick Yami had played on him. In his fury, he brought up his gun at aimed straight for the taller teen. "You bastard! I hope you rot in Hell!" With the sudden movement, the lighter fell into the alcohol and ignited, quickly engulfing him in flames.

People screamed as the convict pulled the trigger. Yami blinked as he saw the bullet come and go, just grazing the side of his head – thankfully, the fire had distracted Kurenai enough to throw off his aim, or he would have been dead. Yami stared at the man as he starting flailing, the fire feeding off of him like a leech. Turning his attention away from the scene, he could now feel Yugi's vice-like grip on his arm as the boy shook slightly.

"Yami, are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, wincing at the stinging pain in the side of his head. Come on, we'd better get out of here."

The two walked over to the rest of the captives, now standing and smiling at their hero. Yami looked with concern at Steve, who was currently being helped up by two of his employees. "Hey, you ok?"

"Yeah," he said with a sigh, looking over at the look-alikes. "You?"

"We will be. We should get out of here."

No sooner had Yami uttered those words, when suddenly a startling explosion set off behind him. Turning around quickly, his eyes widened at the sudden growth of the flames. The alcohol which Kurenai had been pouring had overflowed off the table, creating a small river of fire which was spreading rapidly. His eyes widened, realizing that if this flame made it all the way to the kitchen or the gas tanks, they could be in serious trouble.

"Quick, everyone out – this fire is spreading like crazy. Someone call the Fire Department!"

There was mass of confusion as the group, now frightened by the growing flames, scrambled for the front door. Bringing up the rear, Yami finally ran to the foyer where everyone huddled nervously. "Someone open the door!"

"We can't – it's locked!"

"What?!" Yami asked, both bewildered and shocked. "Why?" Pushing and shoving through the crowd, Yami made his way to the front, Yugi in tow. He grabbed the handle, jerking it violently, but no budge.

"That won't work Yami – the doors are locked." The teen turned around to look at Steve, who stood by watching anxiously. "That guy – he took the keys and locked all the doors in here. The guy we kinda just set fire to."

Yami's eyes were steeled, his mind racing as he tried to figure out a solution to get them out. There was no time; the smoke was starting to become a problem, and there was definitely no way he could get the keys back. Even if he did, the flames were already spreading too rapidly – he might not get to the foyer in time. Their only choice was to break down the door. Three of the employees were already attempting said plan, with no success; several others watched as Yami looked around, suddenly pushing and shoving to get to an adjacent wall.

"Yami? Dude, the exit's this way-" started Steve, panic beginning to seep into his voice. The door had yet to budge, and now several people were beginning to cough and hack from inhaling all the smoke.

"I know." Finally reaching his destination, he grabbed the machete that had been nailed there. Propping a foot up against the wall, Yami let out a grunt of frustration as he put all his force into pulling. The paneling protested as it felt the object being ripped away until finally it gave up, sending Yami to the floor, axe in hand. Temporarily dazed, he looked up. Smoke was everywhere; if they didn't get out soon, they might end up suffocating in the grey pitch.

"Everyone stand back!" he yelled as he got up, rushing to the front door. Hearing his voice, everyone immediately parted as Yami heaved the machete into the door, trying to break the lock. Seconds later, a mangled-looking handle fell to the ground, defeated. Yami turned around to see the flames becoming dangerously close. "Ok, time to go!" Grabbing Yugi, he gave a swift kick to the door. It swung open wildly as sunlight and fresh air filtered through the room. Running outside, he waited as he watched the hostages flood out, making sure everyone was accounted for.

When the last person finally made it out, the fire crew had already showed up. Firemen ran here and there, pushing people out of the way while they frantically attempted to put the fire out. Yami stepped back in awe. Nearly the entire restaurant was now engulfed in flames. He wasn't quite sure which surprised him more – the fact that they all got out alive, or that the fire got so big to begin with.

Yami's eyes widened, realization dawning on him. Turning around, he went to find the nearest police officer, who was currently barking out orders over his radio. Not waiting for the man to finish, he reported in a breathless voice, "Kurenai Eimin is in there – he was holding the customers and employees as hostages, but managed to set himself on fire – I don't know if he's still alive or not."

Quickly recovering from the shock of this new information, the police officer put the report in hurriedly. Yami watched as suddenly a mass of police officers got out of their cars and approached the building, the fire fighters still struggling to get it under control. Minutes passed, when finally a hesitant voice met the teen's ears.

"Uh, Yami – can you help me take this thing off? He got it on pretty tight…."

Blinking, Yami turned to see Yugi, whom he had been dragging all over the place, fiddling with the blindfold still tied around his head. Mentally smacking himself, Yami grabbed his hand again. "Sure, Yugi – lets just make sure we get out of the way first."

"But shouldn't we stay here?" the boy asked, as he was led out of the commotion. "The police will probably want to talk to us about what just happened."

"It's ok – they're busy right now. They've gone in to apprehend the guy that did this. Or what's left of him."

Yami held the boy close as they crunched their way through the snow, amidst the mob of people; firefighters, policemen, and EMS crews were running back and forth to and from the building like ants in a colony. Finally, he found a small spot, a little removed from the whole scene. He stopped and turned around, reaching behind Yugi's head to undo the knotted fabric.

"Hold on Yugi, I've almost got it." No sooner had he spoken did the blindfold become loose. Pulling the fabric away, Yami looked down to see a pair of wide, sparkling eyes stare back at him gratefully. Moving forward, he grabbed him in a fierce hug. Yami could feel it being reciprocated with the same energy; worry and concern washed over Yami as he felt the teen shaking in his arms. After everything that had happened – the break-in, the hostage situation, the fire – he tightened his hold on him, almost enveloping Yugi as if to say, 'It's ok, you're safe, I'm here now.'

Minutes passed as he allowed Yugi to rest in his embrace. For the first time, the teen no longer felt nervous or embarrassed – he rubbed the younger's back comfortingly, trying to warm him up from the cold outside. Finally, Yami released his friend only slightly, bringing a hand up to gently inspect Yugi's head. With the amount of times he'd been hit by that convict, it was a wonder he was conscious at all, let alone standing. The teen frowned as he felt his hand brush over two or three bumps under the teen's soft, silky hair; he stopped when he heard Yugi take in a breath sharply, the areas on his head still very sore. He let his hand drift to they boy's face now, his thumb brushing against a bruise that had already begun to form.

Cupping Yugi's cheek, Yami looked into pools of amethyst as he whispered apologetically.

"I'm sorry, Yugi. None of this should have happened."

"What are you sorry for?" came the reply, voice wavering. "You saved me and everyone else in that restaurant from being killed – twice – even if your first plan was incredibly stupid, reckless, and idiotic." Yugi fought for breath, shaking once more as he leaned into Yami for comfort.

"I was so afraid that I might…lose you…."

Yami smiled down at the youth in his arms, brushing away a tear that threatened to fall from his violet eyes.

"Never, Yugi – I love you too much to let that happen."

Yami was surprised at how easy the words came to him. Turning introspective, a part of him was frantically trying to push the 'Escape' key, horrified at what he had just done. However, a stronger, more reasonable voice told him to stay. Even if Yugi didn't reciprocate his feelings, he needed to hear this, to know everything was ok after this whole ordeal. He stroked the teen's hair affectionately, enjoying the feel of it entangled between his fingers, admiring how the melted snowflakes caused it to glisten in his hands.

Yugi looked up at him again; his eyes like scapolite jewels as they sparkled with fresh tears, silently holding a bit of shock, surprise, and…joy?

"Did you just say….?" His voice trailed off, almost as if he didn't believe him.

"I love you, Yugi. Since I first met you, in fact. It just took me a while to admit that to myself. I'm sorry."

Embracing him again, Yami buried his head in the teen's shoulder. Nuzzling his neck, he barely heard Yugi's soft moan as he sighed. He didn't know what else to do but stand there, resting his head and enjoying what would probably be the last time he saw Yugi again. The boy would most likely disappear soon after, unnerved by Yami's statement but too kind and shy to say anything.

Yami shivered with pleasure as Yugi copied the gesture, his warm breath tickling his neck. Giving a reassuring squeeze, the teen turned his head slightly and whispered into his friend's ear.

"I love you too, Yami."

A wave of happiness and relief washed over Yami as he smiled into the server's shoulder, his heart beating with excitement from Yugi's confession. He tightened his hold on the teen, unwilling to let him go now that he knew the love was returned. Yami's nerves tingled as the other teen let go with one hand to turn his head towards him. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner…I was too afraid of losing your friendship, of what you might think of me. I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

"Yami."

Quietly, Yami reached over and took Yugi's free hand in his own, fingering and enjoying the soft skin against his own. He smiled, enjoying the reaction as Yugi blushed profusely, making him even more beautiful. He took the hand as if it were precious, gently placing it against his chest and covering it with his own. Yugi's eyes sparkled like the heavens…he truly must have been an angel sent from above.

No more words needed to be spoken. Yami and Yugi simply stood there, basking in the glow of each other's affections, enjoying the embrace as the snow fell gently around them. Both pairs of eyes sparkled with overwhelming love for each other as they leaned forward, finally coming together in a powerful, passionate kiss that warmed them both, heart and soul.

Merry Christmas.

* * *

Epilogue (aka, the behind-the-scenes look, or something.)

A figure from atop a nearby hill watched as the flames continued to lick the air, greedily. Hues of red, orange and yellow seemed to dance with the setting sun, casing a beautiful, romantic shroud of color on the couple down below. Giggling slightly, she took out a pad and paper and began to write, sealing the scene between the two teens in prose.

Looked down again, she noticed as two figures, a guy and a girl, began their ascent up the hill to rejoin the others. As the flames died down the police finally merged on the building, the duo finally reached the top – the brunette picture-taker from before, and her male companion. The blonde smiled as she walked over to help the girl up, leaving the spiky-haired teen to help himself, despite his yelled protests.

"Finally - mission accomplished!" she stated, grinning at the brunette. "But tell me – did you really have to go that far, Merodi?" She eyed her friend, who simply grinned and scratched the back of her head nervously. "I mean, I understand the whole point of this was to get those two together – but honestly, breaking into Federal Prison?"

Merodi looked at her, camera dangling from her wrist as she pouted slightly. "Awwoo, but I thought it'd be more dramatic that way, Wolfy-chan. Besides, it gave Naito something to do." She did a silly little turn before continuing, still caught up in the Y/Y moment that had occurred. "First we had the fluffy, fairy-tale meeting, then the comedic example; all we needed was some angst to tie the knot! Don't you agree, Ko-chan?"

Merodi face-faulted as she looked down at her friend, sitting on the ground while her pencil continued to scribble furiously over her drawing pad.

"Uh, Ko-chan?"

"Yeahsureyoubetcha."

The brunette sighed, looking to Ko-chan's twin, imploring her for help. "Ya-chan, fix your hikari, would you?"

The twin who stood beside her turned to blink, assessing the situation. "Ah, gomen, but she's gotten into one of those 'phases'. Last time it took me 3 days to snap out of it, and that's only because our pocky stash had finally run out." She shook her head, her hair swaying with the motion before looking at Merodi again. "What took you guys so long, anyway?"

"Huh?"

"To get those two together? We could've done it in a week, tops."

"Yeah, I'd like to know too, actually," Wolfy-chan (or Wolfspeaker) added, curious.

"Ahh, gomen, gomen – I was incredibly busy with school. Between homework and tests and projects and practicing, I had absolutely no time whatsoever. That, and it took me forever to get Naito to help me out."

She gestured over to the only male member of the group, sitting on the grass in a cross-legged position. Yes, sitting in the grass, because the authoress has the power to change the seasons at will - stop laughing at me. He stared forward with an annoyed look on his face, brooding over the fact that he had actually succumbed to his hikari's plans.

"Baka. Remind me never to help you or that brother of mine again." The teen sulked, blowing a golden bang away of his face. Indeed, he looked suspiciously like Yami, save that he was slightly shorter, and red eyes and hair were replaced with cerulean. And perhaps a quicker temper.

Merodi stared. "Jeez, what's the matter with you? You got to break into the prison and help set the restaurant on fire – what more do you want?!"

"A paycheck."

"Yeah, well, when you find someone who actually wants you to wreak havoc and destruction as you see fit on a regular basis, let me know – then I _might_ pay you."

Wolfy-chan stood, watching the dialogue amusedly. "Ya know, Merodi, you could always just turn him into a sex slave and sell him out to people." She looked at the two of them innocently as they stared back in shock. "Just think about it – you could always get some fringe benefits on the side too – I mean he is YOUR yami."

"Actually, I'll agree to that," stated the scribbling girl, finally getting up. "Sounds like a great idea! You can let Dai have first dibs."

"Hey! You keep your maniac muses away from me, Ko-chan!" Naito yelled as he started to back away. The twins and the blonde had sly grins on their faces, walking towards him as if stalking their prey. Panicked, the teen took shelter behind his hikari, who gave him with a strange look.

"Naito?"

"Hikari, tell them that I'm not a slab of meat to be served up! That's Yami's job, not mine – why don't they go hunt that couple down instead of me?"

"Because you're convenient."

"Oh, thanks," he replied dryly. "Now will you call your creepy friends off?"

"Actually, I think it's a good idea, Naito," Merodi replied, turning around with smirk.

"WHA?"

"We could certainly use the money…and I certainly wouldn't mind seeing you walk around like a sex god."

Naito's eyes widened. Stepping back, he faced all four girls with a look of defiance.

"Well then – I guess there's only one thing left for me to do."

"Oh, and what's that?" Wolfy-chan inquired.

"…run away!" he yelled as he retreated into the forest, in an attempt to escape as the group chased after him.

"Hey, get back here!"

"Naito, we just want make you look sexy!"

"Come on, you know you like leather – come back!"

* * *

And so, the story finally comes to its conclusion. I really am sorry about the lateness, people – fortunately, I'm going to be out of commission for most of the summer, so hopefully I'll have things for you to read again (cross your fingers).

And so, now I believe a quick thanks is in order to the following people:

Rox

Ko-chan to Ya-chan _(I finally got on the Gaia thing – though Naito wanted me to use him as an avatar, and so now there are two accounts instead of one…oh well.)_

Yami Yami Yugi _(I still owe you a story! I'm sorry it hasn't gotten done, but I'm really excited about writing this one…I hope you like it…look for an email from me, I have a few questions about your character.)_

Wolfspeaker _( Love ya, Wolfy-chan!)_

Mittens no Hikari _(lol – the stick figure drawing? Yeah, I have it, actually. I need to find someplace to post it, though….)_

Mel Gods

Evil Chibi Malik

Vanilla Fox _(Haha, well, thank you! I'm flattered that you changed your mind about Yaoi because of this! As long as you guys liked reading it, that's all that I care about….)_

The Chaotic Ones

Li

Hime no Ichigo

Titanicbabe

Silver Draggon _(Did someone say Chocolate Martinis?) _

Dagger Maxwell

Mikomi Rae_( I like rootbeer too. )_

Hakiri-Nefertiri

Rikainiel

Yaoi-Rules

Metallicbubbles

Cheria

Twinklefaerie

HumorNut _(I'm sorry Joey wasn't in this one, I know how much you like him. ;)_

….as well as to everyone else who has been enjoying this 'series' so far. I honestly did not realize how long I had been away from writing and my Y/Y stories until people actually started emailing me, asking me if I had stopped and pleading with me to continue. Eh heh.... You guys rock, yo.

This story was supposed to be posted as a Christmas present for you all, hence the winter setting. Didn't do to well with that, did I? In any case, let me know how I did, and hopefully I should be replying much quicker this time...hopefully.

Bai bai! Hope you're all doing well!

--MnY

P.S. – I definitely won't be posting this week, just so you know – I'm getting surgery done on my foot this coming Tuesday, and will probably be out of it for most of the week. 6 weeks in a wheelchair and 2 more on crutches…what a wonderful way to spend the summer, huh? -Sigh-

P.P.S. – Oh, and honorable mention to anyone who knows what anime 'Prisoner NP 3228' is taken from, and which character it refers to.

P.P.P.S. - Stupid FF.net, changing it's format and junk. Whatever happened to simple uploading, huh? Grrrr...


	9. Noroi no Demon Part I

Author's Notes:

Dedication: This installment is part of a two-chapter fic dedicated to Yami Yami Yugi. Aside from being a great reviewer, she's also the winner of my title contest for the main fic I'm writing, now called 'Shadow of Darkness'. She plays a part in this short-story as well, having created the character Lady Yasha. I'm afraid Yasha's only mentioned a few times in this chapter, but she will be holding a very important role later on. wink

Special Thanks to: Wolfspeaker, for beta-reading this for me. Apparently this is the best I've ever written something, in the technical aspect. She refused to send it back to me until she found stuff wrong with it. ...Eh heh... Thanks for the extra effort, Wolfy-chan!

And of course, a big thank you to all those have been reviewing and reading my fics. I'm not going to list names here, since I know you want to start reading the story (if you haven't already).

Enjoy!

---MnY

* * *

The rain set early in tonight,  
The sullen wind was soon awake,  
It tore the elm-tops down for spite,  
And did its worst to vex the lake:  
I listened with heart fit to break.  
When glided in Porphyria...

Be sure I looked up at her eyes  
Happy and proud; at last I knew  
Porphyria worshiped me: surprise  
Made my heart swell, and still it grew  
While I debated what to do.  
That moment she was mine, mine, fair,  
Perfectly pure and good: I found  
A thing to do, and all her hair  
In one long yellow string I wound  
Three times her little throat around,  
And strangled her. No pain felt she;  
I am quite sure she felt no pain....

--- excerpt from 'Porphyria's Lover', by Robert Browning

...

**Noroi no Demon - Part I  
**

****

"Oh great, we lost him again."

"We? Excuse me, but _you_ lost him."

Kaen glared. "Did not! You should have been watching!"

"Oh yeah? Next time get your flabby butt out of my face, then."

"I couldn't help it, he took me by surprise."

"Aw, is that right?" Doku replied, taunting his companion. "Did the weak widdle shinibana boy scawe you? Poor widdle Kaen."

"Shut up! You didn't do anything!"

"That's because we're under orders, stupid. Yasha wants the kid back alive, not as a rotting corpse."

"Oh."

Careful not to be seen, a short figure peered cautiously over the metal façade to get a better look. There, hovering above a nearby building, were two winged creatures. The last one to have spoken, 'Kaen', seemed to be worried. His green eyes darted everywhere as he hovered about nervously.

"Doku, what do you suppose will happen if we...don't find him?"

The second creature sighed as he leaned back and flapped his wings with annoyance. "Well, I suppose the very least the council could do is banish us, cutting us off from the clan and everyone we know." He paused to pick up a bug that crawled across his white leather pants, dirtied from the pair's recent trek. "Then again, Yasha's the one who sent us, so we can probably expect to be torn limb from limb if we don't recover the traitor."

"That bad, huh?"

Doku turned to look at his companion, bug still in hand. "Yes, Kaen," he replied in a patronizing tone, "_that_ bad. I swear, you wouldn't know common sense if it came up and bit you in the ass." Kaen glared back wordlessly as the grey demon continued. "I mean, for God's sake, can't you even dress inconspicuously once in a while?"

"Do you think I like this?" Kaen exclaimed. He stepped back with his arms outstretched, his orange, flame-like skin glistening in the moonlight. His leathery wings glowed a stunning copper color to match. Kaen hovered in the air, indignant.

"So? What's with the clothes?" Doku replied indifferently.

"What about them? It's not like I have much of a choice, you know." Kaen turned around, crossing his arms in a huff. The golden armguards he wore clinked as he did so. "I can't wear all black - I end up looking like some Halloween freak. Same thing goes for white, and too much orange and green makes me look like an overgrown pumpkin," he pouted.

"So...that's all you have?" Doku replied, skeptically looking at his partner's ensemble. Aside from the armguards he wore, Kaen had opted for a simple blood-red muscle shirt and long, baggy black shorts. "You look like some kind of bad Kingdom Hearts wanna-be. Nevermind," he muttered, noting Kaen's blank look. "Look, why don't you get a trench coat or something to cover it up?"

"Hello?" the other demon replied, waiving his flame-tipped tail back and forth. "Same reason you wear those fingerless gloves, am I right?"

Doku looked down at his hands. The small bug he had captured earlier was still crawling about, unaware of his cruel fate. While Doku positioned a finger above the insect, the two demons watched as a single drop of liquid formed at the tip of the nail. The black ink fell, landing on the creature's back. Doku smiled as the bug began to writhe in pain, becoming little more than a spot of blood on his hand.

"Yeah, I suppose."

He floated forward to pass Kaen, wiping his glove on his partner's shirt. "Hey, watch it!" Kaen protested, backing away. "You could've scratched me like that."

"Oh give it a rest, Kaen. Besides, I wouldn't waste such good poison on a moron like you. With all the whining you'd make, my ears would be bleeding in less than a minute."

Doku lowered himself down to stand on the edge of the building, looking over the brightly-lit city before them. The full moon and city light should have made this hunt a cinch, but the temperamental wind current had set them back a bit. He growled in annoyance as a passing breeze played with his ebony hair, slightly matted from the rain that clouded his eyes. How in Sokar's name were they supposed to pick up the shinibana's scent in these conditions? Disgusted, he turned around to see Kaen playing with his tail, flying in circles as he tried to catch the flame at the end of it.

Doku rolled his eyes. Bad weather, and a partner with the I.Q. of a toaster. Yeah, this mission was on a road to failure all right.

"What about brown?"

Kaen stopped in mid-chase with his tail. Confused, he turned to look at the grey demon beside him. "Huh?"

"Brown. Why don't you wear brown? It'd match your hair," Doku replied simply.

The fire demon blinked at the suggestion. Averting his eyes, he twiddled his thumbs as he muttered a reply. Doku frowned, unable to hear what Kaen had said. "What was that?"

"I said, 'it makes me look fat'."

A grin began to snake its way across Doku's face. His expression was one of held-back laughter, an effort that was steadily failing as Kaen glowered back at him.

"I'm _serious_, it does!"

The demon couldn't stand it anymore. Doku exploded with deep laughter, amused by his partner's girlish cares. He crossed his arms over his bare, white-vested chest; his form shook with hysterical laughter, making it almost impossible to breathe.

The third figure continued to watch the drama unfold from an adjacent rooftop, hidden from view. His eyes narrowed as he watched the two demons. Doku was floating about, teasing his partner amidst Kaen's loud protests. Completely caught up in their bickering, the hunters no longer seemed interested in finding him.

This was his chance.

Doing his best to stay within the shadows, the teen quietly crept along the rooftop. He stopped at the edge, crouching in order to mimic the gargoyles that surrounded him. Not exactly the best company, to be sure. Grotesque, distorted faces stared at him with glee, almost as if they knew of the crime he had committed. His wings still folded, he checked the conditions once more.

The weather would be a problem. The rain was coming down in sheets; though it seemed to be letting up, visibility was still poor. The constant gusts of air weren't much help, either. With its ever-changing direction, it would be hard to fly downwind of the demons and cover up his scent. Doku had always been an exceptional tracker; he was going to need all the help he could get. And although the other pursuer seemed incredibly dense, the fire demon Kaen was contested by many to be one of the fastest in the clan.

The boy smirked. Good thing he was faster.

Seeing the two demons were still caught up in their argument, the teen let himself fall from the ledge. Silently he unfurled his large wings, their ebony color blended in perfectly against the night sky as he glided away on the air current. For now he was in Mother Nature's good favors. He only hoped that it would last long enough. He needed to fly away as fast as he could before the wind changed direction again. With a little luck, he would be long gone by the time Doku and Kaen started on his trail again. The winged escapee grimaced as a strong breeze cut across his thin form briefly.

With a little luck.

* * *

The small copper bell hung at the front entrance, chiming lightly as the door swung open. It was a distant reminder of better times for the young man standing in the doorway. Years ago, the shop had been a much busier place. His grandfather was always seen bustling about, moving from shelf to shelf as he double-checked his stock. Some customers found it odd that he took such an enjoyment in his work. Granted, he had been at the same job for over 40 years, and by all rights he could have used another shot of senility. Even so, Grandfather loved what he did. During the day, the shopkeeper practically lived by the sound of the door chime as it banged against the door with ease. Back then it was a noise that was welcome at all hours of the day. To the old man, it meant that he had company.

Not so anymore.

Those happy, carefree days had long since departed. Grandfather had died like a passing breeze in the mid-night, leaving a cold emptiness in his wake. Life slowed to a stream, then a trickle, a mere drop of what used to be. The copper bell's tune had changed, no longer the bright, happy sounds of before. Now it rang with a sad, regretful tone, filled with the echoes of loneliness. It uttered a silent greeting to the only one left to hear it.

'Welcome home. Or rather, what's left of it.'

The young man hardly noticed the morose invitation. The sound was lost to the cacophony outside, the crashing of clouds echoing throughout the city. Today did not go well. The exhibit materials he had been promised were now three weeks overdue. He and his colleagues were behind schedule because of it, and having the museum administrators breathing down his neck all day hadn't helped much. Once again he had been forced to work overtime, trying to scrape together what he could as their deadline approached. When he finally retreated from his prison at dusk, he was met with an unpleasant surprise. The bus system had cancelled its routes for the night for some cockamamie reason, meaning the subway was probably flooded with men and women trying to get home. There were no taxis in sight, and as he tried to call Jounouchi to pick him up, he discovered that his cell phone had inexplicably died. He was left with only one other option - walking.

And it was raining. Hard.

He stepped past the threshold, water dripping on the hardwood floor as he shut the door behind him quickly. The bell rang angrily in protest, a protest that went unnoticed by the entering figure. He shook his wild hair like a wet dog, rainwater flying everywhere. Leather dress shoes were kicked aside, his coat hung haphazardly on a nearby chair while he searched for the thermostat. The young man preferred the fireplace to the heater his grandfather had installed years ago, but he hated the rain more. With the dial cranked up he retreated to the living room. The floor seemed unusually wet for some reason; the archaeologist rolled his eyes at his own ignorance as he looked down at his feet. Leaning on the couch, he peeled off two sticky socks and threw them aside. The water-logged fabric landed on the kitchen floor with a _'twack'_ while their owner brushed his bare feet across the soft, deep carpet. That was better. He let a miniscule smile creep across his face, remembering how his grandfather used to do the same.

But that was then. Right now, he was still hungry and cold; taking a little trip down memory lane wasn't about to fill his stomach any time soon. Standing up, he walked towards the kitchen, kicking the floundering socks out of the way as he went. He wrenched the refrigerator door open. The light from inside illuminated the room slightly, casting an eerie glow across his features. Unfortunately, the fridge didn't have much to offer. The shelves were filled with food, but nothing that was actually edible at the moment. Changing tactics slightly, he closed the door and opened the freezer. Three minutes later the microwave flashed with life as it slowly cooked a cheap frozen dinner on its chasse. The owner retreated towards the fireplace in the meantime, a beer in hand.

"Now to get this fire going," he muttered, placing his bottle of Guinness on a side table. Opening the metal screen with one hand, he grabbed a stray newspaper and stuffed it in. Add some logs and a match for good measure and _voíla!_ - instant heat. Tired, the figure crashed on the red sofa behind him. By unbuttoning his white dress shirt he revealed a strong, firm chest, basking in the heat of the fire. The flames danced hungrily, feeding off the wood with an insatiable greed. The archaeologist watched as red-orange tendrils seemed to reach out towards him. The fire almost seemed to have a life of its own -- a demon winking at him from the depths of the fireplace.

He grabbed his beer from the side table and took a swig. The hum of the microwave droned in the background, lulling him in to a lazy daze. The figure sighed, chuckling ironically as he exhaled. God, if Ji-chan could see him now....

"Welcome home, Yami," he muttered to the empty room, "welcome home."

* * *

Damn. So much for luck.

The young demon gritted his teeth with frustration. The wind seemed to have finally made up its mind, and it wasn't a decision he favored. A strong breeze had picked up, blowing towards him without hesitation. He had kept going at first, hoping it would change direction once more, but after a few precious minutes it became evident that he would have to change his plans. The teen's black denim attire hid him from view as he swooped low through the city. His violet eyes darted everywhere as he looked for a place to hide. That dark alley should do the trick. The demon banked to the right, melting into the shadows with ease. Black opulent wings slowed his descent as he stepped lightly onto the dirt-covered ground.

At least it had stopped raining.

Folding his wings behind him, the figure kicked a piece of trash out of the way before sitting down. Exhausted, he leaned heavily against the brick wall of an adjacent building. His back muscles protested as they pressed against the rough stone. The teen sighed wearily, hugging his knees to his black-clad chest. For now, this was as good a rest as he was going to get. He was taking a big risk by seeking shelter in the middle of the city. He felt ready to collapse; the disease inside him was growing with each passing moment, sapping his energy like a leech. The only hope he had of slowing the process was to feed. The teen shook his head, his multi-colored tresses swaying back and forth. The problem was, he had sworn never to feed off another human without the victim's consent. No matter what the rest of the clan thought, he would rather die than go back to that way of life. Then again, knowing his luck he was probably going to die from execution first.

He had been called before the clan elders over a week ago. Many of the council members had heard rumors claiming that he had failed to participate in the hunt as of late. He had tried to show them the reason for his behavior. Feeding meant hurting the innocent, he had explained to them, an action which he refused to take part in. In hindsight, such an admission probably wasn't the smartest thing he'd done. (Then again, the looks of disbelief on the council's faces had been worth it.) He knew he would undoubtedly be punished for such action, but he shuddered to think of what that punishment would be. He had hoped that the elders would let him off with exile, a fate he would have gladly accepted. The demon snorted. That had been wishful thinking. As soon as they had heard of his rebellion, several council members had begun preparations to lock him away. He was far too dangerous in their eyes to be left alone. A shinibana, turning against his own clan? It was unthinkable, even for the most open-minded demon.

If he wasn't hated before, he certainly was now. For as long as he could remember, the other members of his clan had envied him for the rare class rank he held. Shinibana demons were quite extraordinary in their existence. Unlike most demons, the shinibana were the closest thing to human as their race allowed. They were known for having a stunning complexion; they lacked the horns or strangely-colored skin that most demons seemed to have. In fact, the only thing that still marked them as such were their wings, a fluke of nature that had arisen in the demon line long ago. That, and the incredible powers the shinibana class were blessed with made them well-known for their usually blood-thirsty ways. It was perhaps this aspect that bothered the teen the most. He found it terrifying some nights, knowing that he could kill hundreds of people with one fell swoop.

Of course, in his current condition he could barely knock two incompetent demons off his trail, let alone commit mass-murder. The short figure sighed again, his body aching dully. Though his mind begged for sleep, the teen managed to drag himself to his feet. He leaned against the brick wall with a hand as he unfurled his wings and flapped them experimentally.

He would rest more later. Right now, the night was still young. He needed to get as far away as possible from this place until he could be certain he was out of danger. Looking up, the demon kicked off the ground slightly, giving his wings the lift they needed to carry him away into the star-filled sky.

* * *

"Doku, how much longer are we gong to have to sit here?" Kaen whined, flipping his tail impatiently. They were perched atop a different building now. The two hunters had taken off after their earlier argument to do some more searching, but their efforts had proved fruitless. With all their recent activity, Kaen could feel his stomach beginning to cramp slightly. "I'm hungry; why don't we go hunt a little bit?" he asked hopefully.

"We're on a mission, stupid," the tracker snapped, scanning the city skyline for activity. "We don't have time for that."

Disappointed, the fire demon scowled at Doku's back. So the grey demon had the time to make fun of him for his sense of fashion, but not enough for Kaen to get a bite to eat? He turned to peer over the edge of the tower. There were humans everywhere, walking up and down the city streets without a care. All those little meals wandering around - it was pure torture, having to watch and not feed. Kaen sighed as he drew back from the edge of the rooftop. "Doku, are you sure we can't -"

"No!" Kaen winced at Doku's harsh tone. The tracker turned around, obviously annoyed.

"Listen - I don't care if you're hungry or not. We've been sent on a mission by Lady Yasha herself, dimwit. Once we find the traitor and take him back to the clan, you can do whatever you want. But until then you'll do as _I_ say, or I'll kill you myself. Got that?"

Kaen opened his mouth to protest, insulted by his partner's harsh words, when the fire demon suddenly stopped. As he looked past Doku, a small, dark figure had appeared in the sky. Kaen watched with rapt attention as it began to retreat from view, it's wings flapping like a bat's. Could that be...?

A slap to the face broke his concentration. Kaen turned to see Doku staring at him angrily. "There you go again, dozing off! For the love of Sokar, pay attention! Did you even hear a word of what I just said, baka?"

Ignoring his partner's temperament, Kaen gave him an earnest look. "Doku, do you smell anything?" he asked, hoping to confirm what he thought he just saw.

The other demon frowned at Kaen's question, torn between perplexity and exasperation. What was the idiot on about now? Mentally shrugging, the tracker sniffed the air anyway. Nothing unusual, as always. Doku turned to give his partner another lecture, when he caught the tail-end of a fading aroma in the breeze.

"The traitor," he murmured, his eyes widening.

Quickly Kaen stood up, spinning Doku around to point at the dark spot in the sky. "There, Doku! What do you see?"

The grey demon refocused his eyes as he glanced to where his partner had pointed. His irises expanded and contracted as he willed them to magnify the image he saw. Doku was one of the few demons in history to possess the ability of 'extended vision' - a quality not even their shinibana prey could lay claim to. It allowed him to see for miles with alarming accuracy. Doku watched the retreating speck like a hawk. It was him, all right. There was no mistaking the human-lover; his crimson and blonde highlights made him a dead giveaway. Doku turned to his companion, giving him a pat on the back. Finally, they were getting somewhere.

"Guess you're more useful than I thought," he muttered. Doku missed Kaen's happy grin as both demons turned in the direction of their prey. "Let's get him."

Copper and silver wings unfurled quickly as the two stepped off the edge of the building and into the night sky. Soaring above the city, they cut through the air with incredible speed. Doku yelled to his partner as they began to draw closer to their target. "Kaen! Get out there and cut him off, will ya?" He watched as the fire demon's eyes lit up with excitement.

"With pleasure."

On Kaen's command, a second, smaller pair of copper wings emerged from his back. As he took a moment to synchronize the movements of his wings, the target unexpectedly took off at breakneck speed. Apparently their prey had noticed the action as well. His black wings flapped furiously, trying to distance himself as much as possible. Kaen grinned at the traitor's efforts. "Ooh, I just love a good chase," he cooed quietly. Finally sorting out his flying pattern, Kaen disappeared from Doku's side as he flew in hot pursuit of the rogue demon.

Meanwhile, the shinibana was nearing the end of his rope. With his energy dangerously depleted, it was taking everything he had to keep flying at such a reckless pace. It was a pace that was starting to fail him as Kaen drew closer, steadily closing the gap between them. What could he do? He wouldn't be able to run forever. His best bet would be to face them head-on. But would he be able to pull it off without dying in the process?

Throwing caution to the wind, the black-winged demon came to a sudden halt. He hovered in mid-air, turning around in time to watch his pursuer go speeding by him. Kaen circled around immediately, cutting off any hope of escape. The fire demon finally came to a stop as Doku caught up to them. The tracker smiled wickedly.

"Well well well - if it isn't little Yuugi?"

"What do you want, Doku?" the young demon spat. His violet eyes glared menacingly as the grey demon shrugged.

"Nothing personal, kid - Lady Yasha's been worried about you. She sent us along to escort you back to the clan."

"Huh?" Kaen interjected, perplexed. "But Doku, I thought you said we were going to capture him because he _betrayed_ the clan, not because he needed an escort. Which is it?"

Doku looked about ready to explode; his face was flushed with anger, causing it to turn an interesting shade of purple. "You idiot!" the tracker screamed, his tolerance level overflowing. "Can't you just keep your mouth shut for one minute? ONE MINUTE, that's ALL I ASK! What does it take to get you to be freaking QUIET?"

"But Doku-kun -"

"SHUT UP, YOU FLAMING IDIOT!"

Yuugi raised an eyebrow, glancing between the other two demons. Maybe it _would_ have been better to just keep running. Then again, the longer they bickered, the more time it would give him to recover his strength. Unfortunately, Doku seemed to realize this as he let out a sigh. Ignoring Kaen's look of fury, he turned back towards the shinibana once more. "In any case," he continued, giving Yuugi a hard stare, "we're not to return to the clan until we bring you to face the council again."

"Then I'm afraid you'll be wandering the skies for a long time, Doku," the traitor replied coolly. Doku gave Kaen a glance, a silent communication between the two before the grey demon replied.

"I take it you won't come peacefully then, am I right?"

"Pretty much, yeah," Yuugi nodded.

Doku smirked. "I was hoping you'd say that."

Without warning the tracker charged at the teen, his fierce claws extended. Yuugi ducked to the side as Doku took a swipe at where he had stood. As the young demon moved to avoid another attack, he felt himself grabbed from behind. Kaen turned him around, preparing to punch him in the face. Yuugi blocked each attack with ease; he ducked and parried with his arm as Kaen pummeled away fruitlessly. Yuugi smiled as he finally caught a sloppy punch in his hand, watching the eyes of his adversary widen with surprise. Without hesitation, Yuugi countered with a hook to Kaen stomach, knocking the wind out of the demon. Kaen doubled over from the hit, only to spring back with pain. Yuugi had flown behind him and yanked on his copper wings fiercely. He roughly kicked the fire demon from behind, letting go so Kaen went flailing forward to collide with Doku. The two hunters struggled against their tangled wings while the teen turned to escape.

"Oh no you don't!" Doku yelled, pushing his partner off roughly. "You aren't going to get away that easily, Yuugi!" While Kaen remained dazed, Doku flew off in pursuit of their prey. The shinibana tried to shake him off by weaving and dodging in the air, but it was no use. His black wings shimmered in the moonlight, making it easy for the tracker to sense his every move. Doku grinned, noticing that Yuugi was starting to slow down. Apparently the disease was finally taking a hold over him. The tracker let his hand drift to the inside of his vest, pulling out a sharp metal object from the inside pocket.

Yuugi suddenly yelled out in pain as he felt something slice through his left wing. Eyes furious and clouded by fatigue, he turned around. Doku smirked, licking the teen's blood off the knife he now held. "Thanks for the snack, Yuugi - I needed that. Chasing after you for the past 10 days has really worn me out, you know?"

His wing ruined, Yuugi hovered helplessly as the demon drew closer. He tried to move the injured appendage again without success. Every movement sent searing pain up his back, practically paralyzing him. Yuugi grimaced as Doku grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, yanking him forwards.

"What makes you think you're better than us, huh?" the tracker whispered dangerously. "Is it because you're a shinibana? You think you can do whatever you want, just because you _look_ human?" He brought Yuugi's face closer to his, his tarnished silver eyes staring into angry amethyst. "That's not very fair of you, you know."

"I don't care what you think - I refuse to hunt humans. I'd rather die," Yuugi retorted.

"Yes, well, you're already halfway there, aren't you?" Doku chuckled lightly. "If the clan doesn't kill you, starvation will. Of course, I'd hate to see a beauty such as yourself go to waste." He gazed at Yuugi hungrily. The boy stiffened as Doku raised a finger to trace across his pale skin. "So soft, yet so rebellious. What a tragedy. Of course," he added, licking his lips, "I might be able to pull a few strings with the council when we return...all you'd have to do is agree to stay with me for a while...."

Doku jerked back slightly as Yuugi spit in his face, livid. Him, be that maniac's love slave? If that was the case, death couldn't come soon enough. Yuugi leaned his head forward; barring his small fangs he bit the demon's hand, causing Doku to howl in pain. Yuugi panted with fatigue but held his ground, his eyes burning with disgust and contempt. "The only way you'll take me anywhere is by dragging my cold, dead body," Yuugi muttered defiantly. The grey demon glared at him, the lust in his expression now replaced by fury.

"Then let me help you on your way, traitor."

Yuugi yelled out as he felt his left wing wrenched aside violently. Doku watched with sick pleasure as he tightened his grip on the wounded limb, causing its owner to scream in agony. The young demon's mind became clouded with pain, only slightly noticing as Doku began to beat him over and over again. After what seemed like an eternity of merciless torment, the pain faded briefly. Yuugi had little time to wonder why as he suddenly felt a burning sensation spread throughout his body. Doku had extended his claws, slashing them across Yuugi's stomach in one swift motion. Yugi started to go numb as the poison began to invade his system, his wings hanging uselessly from his back while he dangled in the air. Doku sneered at the lifeless form he held in his grasp.

"Goodbye, Yuugi."

The grey demon suddenly let go, watching as the traitor plunged helplessly towards the city below.

* * *

Yami stretched his tired muscles as he sat in front of the fireplace. The microwave dinner sat in the sink half-eaten, joined by two empty bottles of Guinness. After eating he had decided to go upstairs and change. He now sat on the couch in a pair of old jeans and a t-shirt, trying to make sense of all the papers and files he had brought home to work on. The young man stared warily at the mess in front of him. It was eleven o'clock, about time that he should go to bed. Yami began shuffling his papers together. It was early for him, but work had been so stressful lately that he looked forward to a full night's sleep.

Papers in hand, he got up from the sofa and headed towards a large mahogany desk. His briefcase sat with its mouth open as he slipped the notes back into their manila folder. Yami tossed the packet in with disgust. Six months ago the museum officials had approached him with a warning. Many of the current exhibits were not drawing as many visitors as they had previously; revenues were down, and something had to be done about it. If Yami didn't come up with a way to double profits within one year, he and his staff would be fired. At first, Yami hadn't really minded the threat of losing his job. He had already been thinking about leaving the museum anyway. He was sick of his dead-end career; it was the study and discovery of ancient ruins that had drawn him into the world of archaeology, not cataloging artifacts. However, the mention of his staff had stopped him in his tracks. Jounouchi, Marik, Bakura - could he really allow his friends to lose their jobs because of him? Yami slammed his briefcase shut angrily. Damn museum officials. They didn't care about history - only preserving their profits.

Yami sighed as he retrieved his still-dripping leather trench coat, hanging it up on a wall hook. There was no sense in brooding about it. He'd figure something out, but not right now.

The archaeologist walked over to the closet and swung the door open. His bedroom upstairs wasn't well insulated; he was accustomed to sleeping downstairs on cold nights like this, especially if he had a fire going. Yami pulled a blanket from the top shelf, preparing to close the door when he heard the sound of breaking glass. A large 'thud' followed, the sound of something landing in his living room. The young man groaned with annoyance. Apparently some kid was finding it amusing to throw rocks at his windows at this hour of the night. Too tired to rush outside and yell at the offender, he reached into the closet again. Yami pulled the broom and some plastic bags out before walking back into the living room. He expected to find the room in complete disarray. What he saw was much different.

Yami frowned as noted the windows on either side of the fireplace, unmarred and intact. Looking up, he was surprised to see the night sky winking back at him. Apparently it was the skylight that had broken, but how? He took a cursory look around the room, looking for whatever might have caused this. The archaeologist nearly jumped when he spied a shadowy figure in front of the couch. It laid on the living room floor surrounded by debris, unconscious and bleeding. Yami dropped the things he carried and walked to the other side of the couch. His eyes widened at the sight of the injured figure.

It had _wings_.

What was going on?

Yami paused, running a hand through his hair, hair which so much resembled the creature's wild, multi-colored locks. Aside from his battered wings, the figure looked human. He was clad in black denim, which proved to be a striking contrast against his pale skin. Could this be...a demon? Yami remembered his grandfather telling him stories of such creatures, but they had merely been fairytales, far-fetched myths to amuse and entertain. He had long come to dismiss such ideas as fantasy, yet it seemed to be the only explanation for the winged figure on the floor. Yami ignored the shards of glass in the carpet as he kneeled down next to it..._him_. The boy looked like a teenager - perhaps no more than 5 years younger than Yami. He let his hand brush across the figure's skin carefully. It was soft to the touch, yet marred by hundreds of ugly cuts and bruises. Yami stared. Whoever this was, he didn't seem to be having a good day, either. Who could be so cruel as to brutalize another creature this way?

Yami let his hand rest on the boy's black denim jacket briefly, debating over what to do. Finally, he started to brush the pieces of glass off the figure, clearing the space around him as well. Once the debris had been swept away, Yami dug his arms carefully under the limp, unconscious form. Cold and sleep were forgotten as he picked the demon up. Yami gently placed him on the couch before getting up and walking towards the stairs, taking the steps two at a time as he went in search of a first aid kit. Moments later he returned, placing what he could find next to the occupied sofa.

Here goes nothing.

For an hour Yami tended to the teen's injuries, healing and bandaging them as best he could. The wings proved hardest to treat; Yami knew nothing about wing bone structure. Finding an encyclopedia article on bats, he quickly studied the picture and went back to work. Though the right wing seemed ok, the teen's left one was in severe shape. The forearm was fractured, and part of the leathery wing - the 'dactylopatagium major', so said the book - was badly ripped. Yami picked up a pair of scissors and began cutting away at the figure's jacket. He needed to get it off the demon if he was going to repair the wing. Tossing the spoiled clothing aside, Yami went to work on splinting and wrapping the injury carefully. He just hoped that the boy wouldn't be too mad with him for ruining his clothes once he woke up.

That is, _if_ he woke up.

Several rolls of bandages later, Yami leaned back to look at his work. The figure still looked worse for wear, practically drowning in medical dressings, but it was an improvement. Yami had done the best he could under the circumstances. At one point he had pondered the thought of calling the hospital, but decided against it. He doubted there would be many people who were willing to take a demon into their care, merely to heal it and send it on its way.

Then again, some of the injuries he had treated weren't to be taken lightly. Yami lifted the hem of the teen's t-shirt carefully while checking the bandage he had wrapped underneath. Like the wing, the injuries to the demon's stomach and chest were particularly gruesome. The wounds almost looked like claw marks, leaving several long, deep cuts in his skin. Again Yami found himself wondering about the prone figure on his living room couch. Who was this guy, and what had happened to him?

The archaeologist shook his head, too tired to debate with himself. He grunted slightly as he got up from his station and walked back to the kitchen. Yami opened up the cabinet door under the sink and pulled a trash can out. Disposing of the numerous dirty bandages and glass shards, he threw the bucket back in distractedly when he was finished. Yami's mind was elsewhere as he leaned over the sink, washing the demon's blood off of his hands.

He'd call in sick tomorrow. He knew they were on a tight schedule, but the exhibit wasn't due to open for another week and a half. His friends would be able to look over things in the meantime. The man glanced over at the form on his sofa. Despite the boy's innocent look, Yami didn't like the idea of leaving a potentially vicious demon alone in his house. He didn't know how dangerous the teen was, but he didn't want to take any more chances than he already had.

Which reminded him - he'd also have to fix that skylight tomorrow morning. Thankfully the winds had stopped howling for the night. The forecasters were calling for a storm the next afternoon, and he'd be damned if he was going to put up with both a demon and a flooded house at the same time.

Yami shivered slightly, finally realizing that the flames in the fireplace had died off a long time ago. He walked to the large closet again. From there he pulled another blanket, picking the first one off the floor as well. Returning to the living room, the archaeologist tossed one of them onto a nearby chair. The other he unfurled, lightly draping it across the demon's injured form. Yami watched with amusement as the unconscious boy seemed to relax slightly. If anyone were to walk in, they would have assumed the teen was merely sleeping.

"Sleep. Now there's an idea," Yami muttered to himself. Closing the shades and extinguishing the fire for good, the young man walked back to his chair, wrapping himself in the blanket sitting there. He gave the demon a final glance.

"Good night, kid. Just promise not to kill me in the morning, ok?"

* * *

"Doku! Doku-kun!"

Kaen fought to catch up with his partner as they flew. The little traitor from before had pulled on his wings hard; Kaen's bruised muscles ached with each flap, slowing him down significantly. Furious that the grey demon refused to answer him, he put on a sudden extra burst of speed in order to reach him. "Doku, what do you think you're doing?" Kaen screamed, finally matching the demon's pace as he pulled up beside him. "Don't you realize what you've done?"

"Yep," Doku replied simply.

"And the fact that we're returning _without_ the shinibana doesn't bother you at all?"

"Nope."

Kaen gave his partner an incredulous look. "Care to explain _why_?" Doku turned to stare at him, his silver eyes dark with feigned tranquility.

"The kid's not dead yet. That poison will take some time to spread through his body. Meanwhile, we'll go back and tell the council of elders that he's been immobilized for their own capture."

"Well, why didn't we just bring him back with us?" Kaen ducked his head as Doku took a lazy swipe at him. The tracker's expression was filled with agitation.

"Idiot," he replied, rolling his eyes. "You don't try to transport someone who's poisoned. If we moved him, the venom would've spread faster - he'd be dead by the time we reached the outskirts."

"That is, if he didn't die when you let him fall."

Doku waived a hand indifferently. "Like they say, he's a shinibana - a petty thing like that isn't going to kill him." I hope.

"And what about Lady Yasha?" Kaen persisted. "What do we tell her?"

The grey demon let a long sigh escape his lips. Now _there_ was a problem. Doku let his wings rest briefly, gliding over the brightly-lit city while he thought. Unlike the rest of the council, Lady Yasha had specifically ordered the hunters to bring the traitor back alive. Failing to carry out her order ran the risk of brutal punishment, or worse. Doku winced slightly, having heard the rumors of her ruthlessness. Yasha hadn't become one of the most powerful demons in the clan just by flaunting her good looks. There was a reason she was on the council, and Doku decided he really didn't want a demonstration.

"It'd probably be best if we appeal to the other elders for leniency," he reasoned, giving Kaen a sideways glance. "The majority of the council wanted the boy dead anyway; technically, we just provided a compromise for both parties. Poison or starvation - either way, he'll likely be dead within the next 24 hours. Best that we tell them now and worry later."

Seeing Kaen nod, the two demons willed themselves onward, diving head-long into the murky, black pitch of night as they headed home. Focused on the task that awaited their return, neither demon seemed to notice a creeping figure lurking among the shadows beneath them. Eyes of liquid gold watched their departure, causing a grin to unfold in the darkness.

"So, the shinibana _is_ alive after all," it whispered. The creature flapped its amber wings expertly, causing the moonlight to dance across them.

"How interesting...."

_**To be continued....**_

* * *

Well, as I said before, this is one chapter of a two-part story. I realize this didn't really have much fluffiness. It was more of a set-up, but the second part is where things'll get interesting. - Hope you enjoyed it anyway! 

Second part will hopefully be out before Christmas...currently the only time I have to write is the 12 minute interval between my classes at college...wahoo. -- Anyway, hope you're all doing well! And don't forget to review!!


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